


Must Love Dogs

by Captain_Twinkie



Category: The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Brotherly Bonding, Domestic Avengers, F/M, Fenrir - Freeform, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, I Don't Even Know, Loki Is Too Stubborn, M/M, Magical Collars, Odin is a dick, PTSD, Poor Loki, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Torture, Twisted and Fluffy Feelings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-25
Updated: 2014-02-05
Packaged: 2018-01-02 16:04:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1058800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captain_Twinkie/pseuds/Captain_Twinkie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Or how Tony ends up with a giant black dog and more than he bargained for..</p>
<p>Spring is in the air and the team has had enough of Tony hiding in his workshop since Halloween. He can complain about the cold for only so long and now that the weather is improving and warming up, he's forced to take a leisurely walk with his overbearing friends. It's exactly what he didn't want; clean air, humans and Thor wrestling him to the dirt. Can it get any worse?</p>
<p>Of course it can! Especially when a massive tank of a dog barrels into him and won't go <i>away</i>. </p>
<p>Tony wonders if this is his fate; to be tormented at every turn.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Why Can't I Have Seasonal Allergies?

The lingering cold was still mixed in with the warm still air around the city but at least no one needed to shiver and wear fifteen pairs of underwear anymore. Sometimes Tony wished he was a super solider or a God from outer space because seriously, all winter long Steve and Thor wore nothing more than sweatpants. Natasha had to stop Thor from going out with them on New Years because the freak was wearing a wife-beater and jogging shorts. Yes. Let that image just sink in for a second. Tony's not one to pass on an attractive person but Thor...no, Thor just can't wear that. It would scar everyone else who was bundled up to their eyeballs with wool and still shivering. So, pretty much, just fuck Steve and Thor and their crazy muscular bodies. It's because Tony didn't want to spar or workout, he was a short guy and all that jumbled mess Clint kept teasing him about. Whatever, at least he had friends of the robot type; who hated Clint. Tony was sure Clint still had a lingering bruise from Dum-E pinching him for like 30 seconds when the archer made some teasing comment. Tony loves his babies. And that's where he's been all winter; stuck in his workshop to improve his suits and tweak his robots. Now it was warm and everyone had cabin fever so dragging each other to the park sounded like a good way to shake off the bitter winter and relax. It was a good time for Thor to wear his weird jogging outfit but what do you know, the idiot was dressed in jeans and a long plaid shirt. Wow, Tony's just speechless. 

And hating this every second. 

"C'mon Tony." Steve had probably repeated those words about a million times while Tony stayed glued to his stool and shaking his head. 

"Go away, Steve." He muttered, hand tightening on his torch. "I'm not joining your field trip."

Steve sighed and made to leave when there was another presence and Tony didn't have time to freeze or make a break for it before Thor was throwing the smaller man over his broad shoulder and hauling him upstairs. In Tony's defense, he went kicking, biting and yelling obscene words about Thor's mother. As Tony thrashed around like a worm on a hot brick, Steve walked behind them, eyebrows drawn together but with an amused smile. 

"I'm going to call your mother and tell her you're going against my will!" Tony growled but sent a pleading look to Steve. Thor answered by dropping him none too lightly on the couch and turning around. And damn if Tony wasn't fearing for his life when Natasha stood there with a slight smirk and handing Thor a lollipop. A goddamn lollipop!

"You sweet tooth loving whore!" Tony sputtered. Thor grinned, nearly bouncing on his feet while he unwrapped it and stuck it in his mouth. 

"Now Tony, don't talk about your teammate like that." Steve sighed, sounding like a disapproving mother hen. 

"I told you guys I'm busy!" He went to get up when Natasha took a very silent step in his direction and he plopped back down. 

"And I've tried all the flavors of these pops." Thor commented, taking the sweet out of his mouth to examine the red color of the pop. "This is my favorite."

"I've got plenty more if you keep being my big, strong slave." Natasha replied without looking at Thor but glaring daggers down at Tony. Thor, usually offended by nearly everything everyone said, laughed and agreed. 

"Thor!" Tony tried a different tactic, "Buddy, I've got a bunch of pop tarts hidden downstairs. I can-"

"Don't even think about it." Steve and Natasha spoke in unison. Tony sent them weirded looks but pouted. "You'll just re-wire the door and lock yourself in there."

Tony chewed on his lower lip, itching for an escape but was distracted by the knowing looks of Steve and Natasha. The appreciative sucking noises Thor was making were causing Tony to fidget. 

"I've got seasonal allergies!" He blurted out. 

"Here." Natasha threw a fresh suit at his face and allergy pills. Fuck it all, he just wasn't going to win! "We are going as a team, Stark. Put a fake smile on that face and get your ass on that elevator." She turned sharply on her heel, nodding at Thor who followed her like a loyal puppy. Steve remained where he was, giving Tony that mother look. 

"Well, aren't you gonna follow?" Tony asked him, he began to unbutton his dirty shirt and slip on the clean shirt and jacket. Steve must've gotten used to Clint and Thor undressing in front of him because he didn't even blink. 

"I'm not a complete idiot." Steve chuckled. "We've known you for 3 years, pretty sure we know your motives."

Tony quickly put on his suit and ran a hand through his hair, messing it up even more. At least he's been showering. He didn't need to look in a mirror to know he looked like absolute shit with dark bags under his eyes, oil smeared on his cheek and his hands were dirty with it too. Thankfully his suit was an old one and he didn't mind losing it to his daily working grit. When he knew he couldn't stall anymore, he faced Steve with a 'I fucking hate you right now' expression and stormed towards the elevator, slipping on his running shoes on the way out (Yes, he owned running shoes...for when he dreams of running, duh). 

"I feel like I'm in prison." He commented when Steve pressed the button in the elevator. "I hate field trips."

"It'll do us all some good."

"As long as we don't have to bond by sports." Tony snorted. 

~~~~

"Tony we're going to play catch!" Clint yelled excitedly. So everyone didn't wait for Tony or Steve and they were already taking over a great deal of the park. It seemed like everyone in the city just wanted to be alone and try to get out of their winter slump. The grass was still yellow, trees bare with little buds. The benches were freezing and Tony whimpered when he felt like his thighs were going to seal together. 

"Go on without me." He waved them off, "I'll be your very male and not very happy cheerleader." 

Natasha shrugged and ordered everyone to stand in a weird out of shape square as she threw the ball to Clint and him to Steve and then Thor and Bruce. Bruce looked content, a small on his face when Clint dodged a random throw from Thor. Tony watched for a few minutes, laughing when it became a game of tackle Clint until he started climbing trees and refusing to come down. 

Tony flipped open his phone to begin his work from earlier, getting calculations right and thinking of new colors for his new suit. Maybe something wicked and dark. He was so engrossed in his schematics that he didn't understand why he was suddenly being picked up, carried and then thrown onto the yellow grass until he heard his team laughing at him. _At him because he was literally chewing on old grass_. He sat up, picking out grass and spitting as Thor cackled with evil laughter that easily reminded Tony of Loki. Huh, that's not where his mind should be wandering. 

Noticing his phone was still on the bench and safe, he let out a strangled war cry and lunged for Thor's legs, wrapping his arms around them and shoved with all his might. Luckily, Thor toppled over and took this as a wrestling match. Before Tony could plea for mercy, he was rolling around with Thor, the beefy arm cutting off his air. His team whooping for Thor to cut off Tony's air...Okay, Clint was yelling that but no one seemed to be rooting for Tony at all. 

"Wrap your legs around his waist!" Someone was shouting. Tony struggled, elbowing Thor in the chest but the god didn't even flinch. His vision was swimming and he was trying to call uncle or something, Jesus, this is scary when he caught a glimpse of his beloved phone being swallowed by a dog. No, dogs in Tony's book were little ankle-biters. This was a dragon's offspring that got stuck in glue factory then skinned a furry animal to hide it's true massive form. That wasn't a dog at all. And it was eating Tony's very expensive phone like a turkey leg. 

Honestly, it was pathetic that it took a beast gnawing on his phone for him to beat Thor at wrestling but he did. He somehow twisted, wrapping a hand around Thor's throat while his thumb crushed into his blue eyes. Everyone went silent as Thor let go and Tony scrambled for the bench, yelling out strangled words. 

"Clint shoot it with fire!" Tony screamed (it was probably high pitched from being strangled to death by Thor's beefy arm). No one did anything until Tony grabbed his phone from the animal's mouth without an issue and scoffed. The dog stared up at him with dark sad eyes and whined, Tony jumped away, slobbery phone to his chest.

Everyone finally found their voices.

"Awww! Look at its' wittle face!" Clint cooed, rushing over to pet the dog. It continued to pout up at Tony while the others crowded around and made baby noises. Like it was a baby kitten or some shit. Tony was frozen in fear. 

"Don't make nice with it! It tried eating my phone!" 

Steve sent him a disappointed stare and Tony groaned.

"It's obviously lost and hungry." Bruce spoke up, looking for a collar. He had to really dig under the layers of fur and made an inquiring noise. "That's odd."

Tony didn't like the sound of that and stepped further away from the beast. 

"Its' collar is made out of human eyeballs, isn't it? Dammit Steve, this is all your fault!"

"My fault?" 

"You and your team bonding bullshit." Tony walked off, wiping his phone on his ruined pants. "I'm off to huddle in my safe shop. I'm not calling Fury if this demon steals your souls."

He didn't get far before he was face first in the grass again, except no one was laughing and a massive weight was on his back, crushing his spine and lungs. 

"Bad dog!" Clint chuckled, okay, that fucker always laughs at Tony's pain. He tried to kick a leg out towards the archer but it was useless and his body might be shutting down now. "Looks like you have a best friend, Stark." Clint full out laughed when he managed to get the dog off him. Bruce helped Tony stand and the smaller man leaned against his science bro with a pout. 

"Brucie...please, carry me." He held out his arms and Bruce raised an eyebrow but instead of a polite decline, Thor picked Tony up bridal style. 

"Don't worry, Man of Iron! I will not let you walk home wounded!"

Tony wanted to scream and kick again but let it go and settled down in his arms, hands running down Thor's shoulder in appreciation. 

"Now who's a whore?" Natasha said softly but Steve chuckled, hiding it behind his hand. 

The dog stared up at Tony again, tongue flapping in the air and judging by the way it was shifting, it might try to climb up Thor and onto Tony. 

"Fuck, it's staring at me." Tony breathed and admitted internally it was okay to huddle closer to Thor. 

"It likes you, man." Clint replied, "We can't just leave it here. The dog catcher is a nasty bitch." Without asking for Tony's permission, the little bastard turned to Steve. Steve was appraising the dog with fond eyes and nodded, "Looks like we have a family pet." Clint sent Tony a smug smile.

"No! Absolutely not! That's my tower. Steve doesn't know anything!"

Steve looked a little hurt but masked it behind annoyance. 

"I know how to take care of a dog, Tony. Someone's going to have to buy food, toys, a bed and tags." He trailed off, smiling more now. 

"I said no, you knucklehead." Tony's voice grew more stern. "Can anyone hear me?!"

Thor grunted, "Yes, verily. You're showing your distress right in my face."

"Sorry buddy." Tony muttered. "Fine, you assholes. If it shits in the floor...he's going to the petting zoo. I'm not walking it either. The Mario Brothers can." He pointed at Steve and Thor. 

"Let's split up, two of us will go to the store and the others go home."

Tony raised a hand while he slid out of Thor's arms (he managed to wink at the god) "I'm going home. Peace." He walked off again but the dog lunged and grabbed Tony's sleeves with his giant teeth. 

"Looks like he wants you to stay with him."

"Fuck my life." He tugged on his sleeve but the dog wouldn't relent. Another rough tug, gritted teeth and threats, it ripped and the dog panted happily; pieces of Tony's sleeve on his long tongue. "You mother-" He was grabbed by Steve with a strained smile. 

"Okay, we're going to the store. Everyone go home and read up on your dog handling." He whistled at the dog who trotted beside him and Tony as they began to walk off. Well, Steve was dragging a complaining Tony. The dog just looked too damn smug about this. 

"This is totally what we need." Natasha said as they watched them walk off. 

"What? A giant dog?" Clint asked. 

"No, a giant dog that is attached to Tony." Bruce answered for Natasha. 

"I think it'll be a good thing." Clint shrugged, "He'll stay away from his workshop more."

They all walked off towards the tower and Natasha noticed Bruce looked a bit concerned. She mentioned it and after a long tense moment, he shook his head in bewilderment. 

"Did you get a look at its' collar? It had these strange ruins on them, they were flashing gold and green under my touch."

"What kind of ruins?" Thor asked, face twisting in concentration and worry. Natasha had a bad feeling all of a sudden. 

"I can't remember now, hopefully they don't throw away the collar." Bruce commented, rubbing his hands together as he lowered his gaze. Natasha saw Clint sending Steve a quick text; their eyes met and he smiled briefly at her. She can always rely on Clint for tiny things like this.


	2. Magical Collar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to say there's a bit of a spoiler for Thor 2 but it really just isn't...at all. I think everyone who hasn't seen the movie yet (Seriously, what are you waiting for?!) you should be totally fine. I'm not following the new movie at all. 
> 
> Thank you to everyone who likes this story so far! It's going to be a bit more detailed and serious than my silly Elf one.  
> Also be prepared for crazy updates and then days where I don't update at all. Yay for muses that do what they want.

The pet store was thankfully pet friendly and only a few people gave them a passing glance but Tony was nosy enough to realize quite a lot of them were whispering and even discreetly taking photos. Steve was fast walking for the dog aisle and Tony just followed, giving as many people the evil eye as well as he could while Steve's hand gripped his upper arm. They disappeared behind the separated barrier and Steve finally loosened his grip and examined the leashes. 

"He already has a collar..." Steve commented uselessly. 

"This is ridiculous." Tony crossed his arms, "I don't want a dog, Steve."

"It's the team against you, Tony." Steve replied, unconcerned as he grabbed a bright green leash and the leather one. The massive dog sat between them, whining up at Tony with those pitiful brown eyes. "Get used to it."

"Jesus, I can't believe I'm being ruled over by a ninety year old super solider." 

"Some people still respect their elders." Steve joked drily. 

Tony snorted and wandered over to the toy section, eyeing the colorful toys, some were just plush while most were squeaky toys. When Tony squeezed a blue teddy bear on the hand like the little sticker said to, the squeak was high pitched and he winced, letting go instantly. Except the dog seemed to get excited and reached up easily to snatched the toy, ripping out the entire display where they landed on the floor at Tony's feet. Tony turned slowly to see the dog wagging its' tail happily, toy in mouth and Steve shaking his head. Steve seemed content with the leather leash and snapped it onto the dog's collar. 

"I'm not picking those up." Tony replied at Steve's knowing look. He stepped out of the pile, accidently stepping on a couple. "That's why there's employees."

"I'm surprised people like you, honestly." 

Tony shot him a brief smile before going towards the food aisle. The employee walking around spotted them and barely contained her squeal until she saw the massive dog between them and then she really did squeal. Tony winced but Steve was polite as ever. The dog managed to sit down, heavy front paw crunched down on Tony's foot. 

"Captain America AND Iron man. Wow, it's my lucky day." The girl sighed dreamily. 

"Why, thank you, ma'am." Steve smiled, blushing a little. Tony merely groaned, rolling his eyes at his luck. "We actually need a bit of help. We just adopted-" Steve motioned at the giant black dog with a sheepish smile, "And have no idea what food we need."

The girl was grinning so hard that Tony was afraid her face would split in half. 

"Well, since he's such a large breed and eats way more than most dogs, Blue is a good brand. It's all natural but...it's pretty pricey."

Steve sent a confused look towards Tony who was trying to unlatched the beast's paw from his foot. He waved at them without words, pain now shooting up his leg and knee. 

"It doesn't matter." Without effort and to the girl's utter delight (given she squealed again), Steve heaved a bag onto his shoulder without disturbing the dog from its' sitting position. "Is there anything else we need?" Tony wanted to mock Steve because he had no idea what was in store for taking care of this thing. The girl had grabbed a cart and was wheeling away, jabbering on while Steve followed, tugging both Tony and the dog along. Tony limped, glaring down at the dog with as much hate as he could muster. The dog only wagged its' tail, toy still in its' jaws. The girl was shoving all sort of things into the cart: bowls, toys, puppy pads (uh, it was a puppy?!), more food, chew bones, brushes, shampoo and clippers. Seriously, this is just shitty for Tony. Finally the girl ran out of things to talk about and asked for an autograph. 

Tony was just happy this trip was over as they waited in line. 

"We should really name him." Steve piped up as he bagged their items and Tony watched the price sky rocket. The cashier, looking like she didn't know who they were, gave them a weird look. Tony handed her his card and tossed Steve a blank tag. The laser machine was behind them but Tony could do that himself later. 

"Later. I'm exhausted and just want to sleep for days." Tony snapped, signing his name with a flourish and grabbed the cart to leave when the girl snorted. See, the thing about Tony was he just didn't have any patience for today. Another thing was Steve wasn't in the right position to make Tony be polite. The shorter man spun around with a crazed look. 

"What?" He all but snarled at her. She popped her gum and raised her eyebrow at him with boredom. 

"I can see who's the man of the relationship." That might've been a compliment on his part since he wasn't currently making baby talk at a massive dog and Tony paid but it was enough. Tony, being the obscene man he was, threw an arm around Steve who straightened quickly. 

"Yep and don't you forget that." He then proceeded to smack Steve on the ass (that earned a yelp) and turned back to forcefully shove his cart and grumbled to himself about people and why he put up with their shit. Steve was red in the face and jogged with the dog to catch up to Tony. "Just for that, I'm taking their cart." Tony yelled loudly behind him. The dog let out a sharp bark like it was agreeing and continued to run alongside Steve and Tony. 

"That's-"

"Don't say a word, Mister Golden Boy. I just smacked your ass in front of like 50 strangers. Usually I'm all for that but today, I want to go crawl in a hole and die."

"All of this bad attitude over a dog." Steve huffed, cheeks finally losing that deep red hue. 

"I don't even know how this will work out. Usually I go for those crazy split decisions but this...fuck, Steve, this is a disaster! Thor's going to feed it pop-tarts and Clint will teach it to crawl in the vents...It's a large dog!"

Steve frowned and when they got closer to the tower, they slowed down but Tony was leaning on the cart while he pushed it along. "Calm down before you have a panic attack again, Tony. Look, everyone's going to help out and you'll get little responsibility." He used that soothing tone that relaxed Tony and it helped a lot. "We should name him."

The elevator ride was a bit cramped but Tony wasn't complaining anymore. 

"It's a he? Wonderful. He's going to hump everything in sight." Tony muttered. The dog was staring at him. "Stop looking at me! Jesus!"

"I don't think that's a good name." Steve replied disapproving when the doors slid open. Tony rolled his eyes and dumped the cart onto its side, all the bags spilling out. Steve unlatched the leash but the dog barely moved; just sat there in silence. Tony helped put away the stuff and piled all the toys and bones into a corner, filled the dog's bowl with food and water. Steve had managed to buy a huge bed so it joined the toys. Tony stared at the dog staring at him. 

"Let's get one thing straight, Fido. Bathroom is outside, whine when you need to go. You get fed three times a day like a normal creature. Don't chew, hump or pee on anything that's important looking. Understand?" He clapped his hands and the dog continued to stare. "Great, awesome. I'm Tony Stark. I'm like 1/6 your owner but I can and will drop you off at the zoo if you fuck up." The dog barked. "Don't do that either. I have enough alarms. Speaking of which, Jarvis, meet our new member."

"Is this a shape-shifting team member, sir?" Jarvis asked. 

"Oh, someone has humor." Tony growled, rubbing at his temples. "No, it's a dog. That's all."

"Ah, does this animal have a name, sir?"

"Nope. Dog is fine. He can't understand a word you say anyway, J. Just warn me if the bastard does something bad." He watched the dog stare up at the ceiling when Jarvis spoke and barely contained his laughter. With that over, he nodded and escaped towards his workshop. 

~~~~

It was only five hours later, at sundown, when Steve called Tony up for dinner. He could hear Natasha warning him about Thor and his current duties. Not wanting anymore manhandling, he scurried upstairs and was in the middle of explaining the pop-tarts for Thor hidden in his shop when he caught sight of the black dog sitting right where Tony left him. 

"Its' still here." He hummed and walked past the giant and rolled his eyes when it followed him to the kitchen table. It didn't beg but sat right next to him with patience; eyes roaming over each person that entered the room. "Guys, I think the real owner must be worried about him." Tony said after watching the dog stare at others with close concentration. He dug into his food but his eyes were cut to the dog every now and again. It never moved or made a sound. 

"We've done a search but no one is missing a dog like him." Clint explained, seeing how oddly the dog was acting too. 

"Speaking of that, what is he exactly?" Bruce asked, eyes staying focused on his food. Thor was helping himself to seconds. 

"A Newfoundland." Natasha answered with ease. "One of the biggest dog breeds out there."

Everyone nodded like they understood but Tony was sure no one saw a breed like this. Hell, probably no one really owned a pet before. Clint didn't count because he worked for the circus. But still, he doubts Clint took care of most of the animals there. Let alone a family pet. 

"We still need a name." Steve repeated. 

"If you say that one more time, I'm going to stab you with this fork. And it'll get infected because my salvia is all over this." Tony warned, holding his fork like a weapon. 

"I think you just admitted to having a sexual oral disease." Clint snorted. 

"I wouldn't doubt it." Tony muttered. He just wasn't hungry and fought back the urge to go sleep in his bed for 30 hours straight. 

"Not to change the subject, we all know we love to hear about Stark and his sexual conquests." Natasha sent him a smirk, "But Bruce mentioned the dog's collar. He managed to get a second look." She then turned her attention to the shy scientist who was glancing at everyone with a wary expression. He cleared his throat and set his fork down. Everyone followed, even Thor who was too busy stuffing his favorite food in his mouth (Steve makes everyone's favorites on special days...today was Thursday, anyone understand that one?) and swallowed with effort. 

"Um, so there's runes on the collar that spark if a mortal touches it." Bruce shot a weird look to Thor. "I researched it and finally found a match that dates back to...Asgard, actually." Thor made a noise and tilted his head like a puppy would when trying to understand. 

"Asgard? Why would a pet's collar have runes from Asgard on them?" Thor asked. Everyone went silent in thought and Tony chewed his food slowly, glancing down at the dog and noticed it was staring at him. He almost choked as he slammed his hand on the table, understanding finally. Steve almost went to him when he waved his hand around in a 'stay put' gesture. 

"Holy shit! Loki!" Tony shouted. To everyone's utter surprise, the dog jumped up and began to barking fiercely. Not like it was about to attack but excitement. "Oh fuck, I'm right?" 

"There is no way." Thor interrupted over the loud barking. "Loki is imprisoned on Asgard and the many centuries I've known him, my brother doesn't have pets."

"What about a creation?" Natasha wondered. 

"No, his powers cannot be that powerful right now. Especially to send such a well made creation to Midgard while his powers are subdued. The creation would either lack major parts or vanish. Loki can only project himself but those are not solid."

Tony slid back into his chair with a relieved sigh. 

"Well thank whoever for that! We don't need Loki's fucking dog living with us." He looked at Thor who was frowning at him, "No offense."

"None taken, I suppose."

"Okay, so, if this isn't Loki's doing then why does a dog have a magical collar?" Clint asked, sliding his chair closer to Natasha. 

"I didn't say it was magical." Bruce chipped in, "It just has runes on them. I can't break them down long enough to research more." He sighed, running a hand over his tired face. 

"Wait, what?" 

"They keep changing. Seriously, just look." Bruce finished up his meal while everyone else turned their eyes to the dog. 

"Stark...you touch it." Clint nudged him with his foot. 

"What?!" Tony yelped, "You touch it!"

"Let Steve touch it. He can't die."

"Fine-" 

"No." Natasha said quickly, "Tony this dog is attached to you. It doesn't seem like it wants to harm you."

Tony glared at her but she was unwavering, he shoved his plate away and leaned down a shaky hand to pull away the layers of black fur until his fingertips brushed the collar. He peered closer and Bruce was right, at Tony's touch, the runes flashed gold and green like a river but the symbols kept moving and vanishing. He ran a finger over one of the runes and closed his eyes when it seemed the world was growing dizzy around him. 

He felt like his body was being tugged every which way until he let out a frustrated scream and his body fell onto a cold surface; the ground, he hoped. He eased his eyes open little by little until he realized he was staring down at white stone. He blinked hard until he saw colors dance behind his lids and then moved his gaze upward when he heard a sharp intake of breath. What he saw made his stomach twist and he almost couldn't stop himself from vomiting. There, leaning against the wall and looking like total shit, was Loki. The cell was dark, a lone candle hanging on the wall and it illuminated half of the God's face. Tony scrambled onto his feet, breathing heavy and it was loud in the stillness of the cell. Loki wasn't chained but he looked like he had taken quite a beating. His hair was long, most of his face from what Tony could see was bruised and swollen. He was nearly naked except for the thin breeches. If he wasn't breathing in sharp gasps, Tony would suspect Loki was dead. 

"Do not look at me so terrified, mortal." Loki's cultured voice was like a splash of cold water and Tony didn't realize that he was stepping closer to Loki. "Have you come to mock me? To beat me in a more physical sense?" Loki's laugh was brittle and he coughed, body wracking. "I am the barer of bad news...you are too late for that." His smirk was lost in the swollen skin around it. His green eyes rolled around the cell. "I must say, I have projected better illusions. Ones that actually speak, for one." 

Tony swallowed around the lump and straightened up. 

"Wow, you look like hell warmed over." Yeah, that works too. 

Loki smirked but it fell within seconds and he looked terribly sad. 

"I can see you are about to leave again. Well, that is a better greeting than the other numerous times." Were Loki's parting words before Tony was tugged back to Midgard or whatever. He gasped for air and scrambled backward into whoever was behind him. The dog let out a whimper and curled at Tony's feet. 

"Tony! What is it? What happened?!" Steve was grabbing at him but Tony was too busy staring wide eyed at the dog, wondering what the hell he just saw. Good god, Loki... 

"Nothing. It just freaked me out." He composed himself quickly, nearly applaud himself for that as he struggled to his feet and glanced at his friends. Even Natasha looked a bit concerned for him. "I'm exhausted, I'm gone for the night." He went to leave and noticed the quiet audience behind him. The dog jumped up and trotted behind him with a small whine but he merely shook his head and pointed towards the dog bed. "Stay there." He said softly and disappeared in his room, wanting a hot shower and some actual sleep. 

What he saw was a figment of a stressful day and the mention of Loki twice. That's all it was. 


	3. Say Hello To Our Friendly Killer Wolf..I Mean Our Loving Dog.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to thank everyone who likes this story so far and the comments! 
> 
> Oh and to Isa for her help with this story. I know you say that Tony is more of a cat person ;)

Loki can't even remember how long he's been imprisoned but it might be ranging from 5 to 6 years on Asgard. The way the cells down below the castle were built was to throw off the prisoners sense of recollection and self-awareness. All Loki knows is when it might be morning because he is handed a golden apple; god forbid he lose his immortality and healing abilities. There wasn't anything less fun than beating someone to a bloody pulp and leaving them to bleed out and die. No, the apple sped up the healing process so after his daily ritual of being a puppet, he's left all day to sit and feel the burn and sting of his skin stitching back together. With his powers he wouldn't even bleed or bruise but take away all of that and it was a slow unbelievably mortal process. Loki felt mortal, wishing Odin would just get sick of keeping him so close to the castle and cast him out to Midgard like he had done to his golden son. Of course Odin wouldn't be that foolish, he'd send Loki to another world where he was likely to never return and be torn apart by blood thirsty unicorns. 

Five years in solitary confinement would seem like only hours for an immortal like Loki and it would except the off-kilter sense overwhelming his useless body and the hours of being 'put in his place' by less savory guards. Guards that had witnessed Loki's tricks and mockery since he was young and bold and were now free to fly under the radar of Odin and Hemidall and take advantage of this situation. Loki remembers for the first year fighting back, laughing and taunting until he grew bored. If a guard managed to succeed in laying a bruising blow to his face, he'd spit in their faces and laugh some more with blood stained teeth. Eventually there seemed to be more guards catching wind of this competition and Loki was just tired of their voices and dodging. 

If he hurt them, they'd just run off and whine to Odin with tales of Loki being too powerful. Somehow they convinced the dim-witted All-Father the lighting in the cell was making Loki strong. _Well, he has heard worse._

The following day when five bulky guards with various blunt objects came for another hilarious round of 'Loki Tag', the lights went out and the slowly weakening god was left blinding defending himself. It was a grand scheme of cheating; of catching Loki off guard in the pitch darkness but he can't ask for anything more entertaining than cheap moves. 

Five years and he just waits patiently, golden apple leaving no appeal but what would his mother say if he refused the fruit? Surely she'd come and visit him, to look into the eyes of her adopted son with guilt and shame. No, Loki would never want Frigga to blame herself. She must have heard word of his newly fond game by now. Yet, there's no mother coming to offer worthless but still welcoming comfort. 

Knowing most escape plans were non-existent in his near future, Loki remains with deafening silence and lack of intelligent conversations. Five years can cause even the strongest men to turn to insanity and how is Loki any different? His powers hum underneath his yellowing skin and it's like trying to itch a scratch that is always moving and never satisfied. His mind is left free but he can only turn to himself for so much comfort before questioning himself.

His powers may be controlled but simple spells are within his reach. The images don't stay long because it's straining and sets his blood pounding and burning but it's better to pretend someone is with him than complete darkness. He conjures up Frigga when his mind comes jumbled up with emotion; guilt always finding its way but Loki has his reasons and seeing the near solid image of his mother calms him like a lullaby. Sometimes he can't get her voice right, it sounds too sweet, sad or even more like himself. He doesn't conjure up Odin, fearing his burning blood will somehow catch his weak body on fire with such fury. Hilariously enough, Thor is often seen sitting in front of Loki, weaving childhood tales and sending Loki that brotherly grin. It's normal and practically driving Loki closer to the brink of homicide so he switches to lesser beings. 

The Avengers are always entertaining and Loki mostly conjures them up for sick twisted humor. The two assassins he figures easily enough, especially being apart of the archer's mind. The green beast still makes him twitchy and the good ol' Captain makes him want to rip out his hair. Stark, Man of Iron and the mortal that Loki finds humorous with his attempts of threatening is another specimen. He's intelligent and he might just be a figment of Loki's imagination quite literally but Loki finds the presence almost as soothing as Frigga. Loki assumes Stark's wit would match his, that pride outrunning even Thor's and more often than not wonders if under different circumstances would Tony treat him like the mortal does to Loki's brother. Obviously Loki would find more in common with the mortal since Thor lacks complete respect for others' thoughts and Loki isn't always so focused on battle like Thor. Yes, Loki and Tony would be something indeed. 

~~~~

Tony was awake before he even heard the shouting from the kitchen. He had no idea what time it was but judging by the loud noises, he expected it was past lunch time and really it was a perfect time to strangle Clint. His shouting was the highest and as Tony grumbled and shuffled into the rooms, they were mixed with Steve's lower demands and Thor's booming exclamations. Tony's vision was blurry, mind turning slowly from being interrupted from peaceful sleep. He clung onto the kitchen doorway and tried to blink away the blurry lines and make sense of the screaming. In his haze he could make out Clint hiding on the counter top; pointing at something, Thor standing at the head of the table, and Steve tugging on something large while trying to calm Clint. 

"Holy shit, why're you screaming?" Tony managed to croak out. Slowly but surely his vision was clearing and the scene before him didn't change until he noticed Steve was tugging on the collar of the giant beast who was apparently starving and decided to lick the grease and leftover bacon out of the pan. Honestly it didn't need to jump, it was casually standing and not at all straining for the food. 

"Tony! Thank God you're awake!" Steve spun around, eyes wide with stark relief. "Call your dog, he's been a bad boy."

At the mention of Tony, the beast paused in his devouring and tilted his head to stare at Tony. Without a word he dropped back on his front paws and trotted over; tail wagging. Tony blinked down into brown pitiful eyes and hesitantly patted him on the head. 

"A bad boy, hm?" Tony asked, more awake now that all the screaming shocked him into alarm. Clint was finally calming down but didn't remove himself from the counter. Thor was sitting again but staring oddly at the dog. "If you can just repeat that in a deep gravely voice, I'll make you more breakfast."

Steve's eyebrows drew together before he realized Tony was being a twisted flirt and his face flamed up quicker than anyone's ever seen. 

"Seriously, he's done nothing but disobey all morning. Clint tried to take him for a walk but he nearly dragged him into oncoming traffic, he somehow turned on the water in the bathroom and left puddles throughout the living room. Thor tried feeding him and he almost bit the poor guy's hand off." Tony glanced at Thor who was frowning and nodding slowly, hand cradled in his lap though there weren't any marks. "He won't pay attention to any of us except you." Somehow that sounded like it offended Steve highly. Tony couldn't help the smug smile as he glanced back down at the very relaxed dog sitting beside him now. 

"It sounds like you all have changed your mind on keeping him."

"What? No! Of course not." Clint interrupted Steve who looked like he was about to protest too. 

"Really? It's his first day and already you all are unable to handle him." Tony was smirking now. 

"Fine, you walk him, feed him and-"

"Oh I will." Tony laughed, "I'm his favorite but I'm not doing this because I actually want him here...only because I can rub it in your faces." With that, Tony snapped his fingers at Steve to make him a cup of coffee while he bent down to retrieve the dog's food bowl and scoop actual dog food inside. The dog himself looked excited and danced until Tony set it down and left him to it. The dog didn't once growl, snarl or try to attack Tony. By that time, Steve had a cup waiting for him and he took a grateful sip. "I'm surprised Clint's girlish scream didn't wake Bruce or Natasha."

"Natasha had to report to SHIELD and Bruce is in the lab, probably in a soundproof bubble." Steve answered. 

"My screams weren't girlish." Clint retorted, sticking his hand in a cereal box and Tony could see it was Lucky Charms and the little bastard was only eating the marshmallows. "You'd be screaming too if a beast of a dog was taller than you."

Tony stared at Clint, trying to telepathic signal he put down the cereal but the archer was oblivious, happily munching away. 

"At least you agree he's a beast." Tony agreed, "Oh hey! Let's name him Beast!" He turned to Steve who was giving him a disapproving look. "I think that's your default expression towards me." He added, pouting before placing his empty coffee cup in the sink, snatched the cereal box from Clint and announced he was going to his lap. Somehow the dog followed but seeing the three robots chirping and running around caused him to stay on the other side of the glass door safely. Tony spotted Bruce standing in front of a large screen with multiple symbols and photos of runes that looked a lot like the ones on the dog's collar. 

"More research?" Tony piped up when it seemed Bruce wasn't going to say anything. Judging by the way Bruce's frown was deeper than it should meant research didn't win out. 

"I don't know why but that collar is making me twitchy." Bruce explained, hand swiping out to wipe the symbols away before he started over. 

"Like...'I'm going to Hulk-out' twitchy or more like 'This is hurting my brain and my left eye keeps twitching rapidly' twitchy?"

Bruce looked at Tony from over his shoulder, a tight smile on his face but as he turned back to the large screen, he let out a small chuckle. 

"A mixture of the two. Don't worry, I promise not to let the Other Guy make an appearance and destroy your lab."

"Hm." Tony muttered, plopping down on a stool as he bent over his work from the night before. At first he had no idea what he was looking at until he realized he was being an idiot and was thinking of making better robots...or adding more limbs and an AI on Dum-E. Yeah, that was scrape. "I wouldn't mind that. I would then proceed to make the lab twice as big just so Steve can send me more disappointing stares."

Bruce let out a louder laugh, "Oh you know he doesn't always think you're a disappointment."

"Only when I step into the room, speak, make noises or when I make fun of everyone." Tony shrugged casually. "It's not a big deal except it's like a failure at life to have his full attention and not the good type."

"I suppose it would be pretty heartbreaking to have your childhood hero looking at you like that." Bruce commented, a bit more serious. Only Bruce knew about Tony's childhood obsession with Captain America. Really, it's Tony's own fault for being himself and not only did Steve dislike him for five months after defeating Loki but now it was the whole crap like Steve thinks Tony is a child and deserves to act like an adult or something. 

"Eh, I have the upper hand because he's still a blushing virgin and has no idea what I say half the time and that makes him look like a true elderly man. Have you seen the look he gets when we talk about the amazing world of science and TV?" He spun in his chair to face Bruce who was shaking his head. "Really, Movie Night is tomorrow, I want you to count how many times the look that I've dubbed 'Grandpa Steve' shows up. He has absolutely no idea." He huffed in pity. Bruce continued to stare at his screen before turning to face Tony as well but his eyes strayed from Tony and towards the door. 

"Have you been keeping an eye on the dog?" Bruce spoke up. Tony's stool squeaked when he twisted around and spotted the dog looking in with a crestfallen look. Tony groaned, rubbing his hand over his face. 

"Apparently he's bad around the others so now I've become his permanent owner. Other than being a waste of my time, he hasn't like sprouted wings or began to chant spells. Why?"

"So far the runes have everything to do with Asgard and powerful magic." They knew exactly what this meant.

Tony took his turn to stand beside Bruce and go over the little research before pinching the bridge of his nose. His eyes closed for a brief second and instantly the image of Loki bloodied and bruised popped up. He reopened his eyes and willed away the horror. 

"This has Loki all over it. He's such a little shit, I don't have time for his tricks today." Outside the door, the dog let out a loud whine and a bark. "Let alone his magically enhanced dog!"

"Thor must not know the extent of Loki and his magic." Bruce explained, "I agree with this being Loki. Thor's been saying Loki can't project dogs and the collar must be a fake."

Tony suddenly had the urge to share his little trip to Loki's cell but bit his tongue. 

"Have you gone through, dare I say it, Mythology text?" Tony began to type before letting Bruce say anything. It was fairly easy to bring up everything about Loki in myth. The first thing that came up was a list of his 'children'. Bruce came closer as he spoke them out. 

"Jormungandr...the Midgard Serpent. Hel...ruler of Hell. Sleipnir...the eight-legged horse." Bruce paused when Tony snorted, "And Fenrir, the wolf." He then clicked on the name and neither knows who let out a gasp but it wasn't worth bringing up as they stared wide-eyed at the giant black wolf snarling on the screen. It was tearing apart Odin and Tony was glad it was just a painting. 

" _Jesus_ , does this mean I have a compacted giant Thor's-father's-killer wolf in my tower? Oh and let's not skip the fact that it's fucking Loki's kid!" Okay, Tony was freaking out. The longer he continued to stare at the painting, hear the desperate whine from the dog outside and realizing he was actually in Loki's bloody cell, the more his pulse pounded and blood rushed through his ears so loudly that he couldn't hear Bruce's concern. Fuck, was this his life? Keeping a-No, keeping _Loki's killer wolf_ in his tower with squeaky toys and a free pass to slay them all? Tony stumbled backwards, elbow accidently knocking into Dum-E who was behind him holding a fresh cup of coffee. It slipped out of the claw and shattered, spraying hot liquid over Tony's pants. He didn't seem aware of the slight burn even as Bruce swam into his vision and began to speak. Tony suddenly felt like the walls were closing in, his chest too small for the wild beating of his heart and he gasped for breath, unsuccessful. 

"Tony...Tony!" Bruce's voice was like hearing voices under water. Around Tony's vision it began to spot and they edged closer to his entire vision, causing even more panic. "Jarvis!" Was the last thing he heard clearly before his knees locked and he collapsed into Bruce's arms.


	4. Better Nightmares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the kudos/comments! 
> 
> I've been having a hard time lately and I think this chapter is really angsty on Loki's part...Hopefully not though!

It's blackness that surrounds Tony when he's unconscious and everyone (Steve and Thor) lift him up and carrying him to his room. Bruce is by his side, constantly making sure Tony didn't hit his head too hard or was going through some sort of extreme shock. Fortunately, it seems like he just passed out and would resurface on his own. In their own pathetic way, the team thinks Tony will finally get the desired sleep now. Of course no one would've mentioned that if he was badly injured. Bruce wanted to stay by Tony's bedside until the older man came to but between Steve and Jarvis reminding him Tony would probably be out for a long time and it was getting late, it would seem the other man would have to leave his best friend's side and catch up on his own sleep. He had to agree (though he didn't have a panic attack) with Tony about the news on them probably now housing Loki's son. 

Speaking of which, Bruce allowed the Newfoundland to bust into the room as he's leaving. Bruce contemplated on keeping _Loki's son_ in the same room but instead knew the giant dog would find a way to get inside either way. The dog whined when he noticed Tony wasn't greeting him and jumped onto the bed; Tony's limp body jerking at the huge jolt of the mattress and the dog laid down, nosing at the man's hand. 

"Jarvis, keep an eye on Tony. Call the Avengers if something seems amiss." Bruce demanded before closing Tony's door. He heard Jarvis' soft approving voice as he entered his own. 

Unknowing to anyone else, the dog began to whine as it felt an unsettling pull and nudged Tony's hand again, this time letting the unresponsive hand slip over his head and land purposefully on the collar. Underneath the genius' fingers, the runes flash and Tony made a gasping noise before stilling again. The dog's brown eyes watch his face the entire night. 

~~~~

_Tony felt that unmistakable pull in his stomach and clenched his teeth when his knees hit the white stone. He isn't entirely used to this since it's his second time traveling by magic but he doesn't kneel there too long before he's meeting Loki's amused eyes and standing slowly. The cell looks no different, it's still dark as shit and Loki still looks like hell warmed over. The god is more under the light so Tony can see the bruised and swollen face much better than the first time. Loki looked like Tony had just interrupted his deep sleep; green eyes wide and the sound of gasping soft breaths. Before Tony can apologize for whatever reason, Loki's mask is back on and the eyes are morbidly amused again._

_"I don't believe I've fully conjured up someone half-awake. They usually do not go past my dream state."_

_Tony wanted to say something sarcastic but found the greeting odd._

_"Well, I want to say I'm flattered by you dreaming of me...but-" Tony sucked in a sharp breath, "-I won't because that's freaky and you're a freaky guy."_

_Loki didn't respond as he shifted on the hard ground, hands smearing blood on the white stone when he almost loses his balance. The bright red color of new blood caused Tony's eyes to stray to the god's hands with a wary expression._

_"Shit, are you gonna bleed all over the place and die?"_

_Loki is completely still and looking at him with a 'Why do you not think before you speak' expression before letting out a soft yet harsh snort._

_"I am, unfortunately, not going to dry up like wasted fruit and die, Stark."_

_Tony started to nod, a bit relieved that he wasn't about to witness the God of Mischief croaking out while he was still stuck here in the tiny room, before he realized that one word that made the entire scene of Loki dying not unappealing to the bruised body. Whoa, that's unexpected._

_"Aw, don't go all emo on me, Lokes." Tony waved his hand in a fast gesture and had to tear his gaze from Loki's intense gaze before he said something else. "What will I tell Thor if you die all alone? Well, I guess you didn't really die alone, per say, since I'm right here."_

_Once again, Loki doesn't respond to his words and when Tony's gaze is back on him, the god's green eyes are closed and he's not breathing or making any kind of facial expression at all. Jesus, Tony can't even tell if the man's chest was moving! So...Loki died, why wasn't he surprised the guy lied? Wasn't that his other title; God of Lies?_

_While Tony's mind goes over the hilarious story of telling Thor his brother is dead finally, the scene of Loki looking very well dead doesn't change. After about 3 minutes of absolutely nothing, Tony can't help biting on his lip and stepping closer to the figure slumped against the stone wall. Loki is sitting with his thighs far apart (let's not think about how long Loki's legs are, Tony) and palms flat on the stone. His neck is twisted at a weird angle and when Tony is close enough, he can see the pale skin turning waxy. The bruises are like a beacon and he's unable to look away from the torture so brightly etched on the guy's face and arms. There are bruises that look suspiciously like fingers around his neck and Tony can't help but swallow loudly. Okay, sure he might've wanted Loki to suffer and maybe he wanted the god to show up again so Tony could throw his sorry ass out of a window tied with magical bonds but Tony wasn't a cruel bastard. The god didn't deserve to be beaten so badly! This wasn't just 'let's punch the guy a couple times' this was full out revenge and hatred. Blood thirsty hatred._

_Back on Earth, Loki hadn't actually killed anyone. He damaged a lot of buildings and injured quite a few people but nothing so severe. The Avengers think SHIELD had made up casualties so the lesser guys loved the Avengers and sworn they'd protect the Earth without much complaints. Honestly, Tony never saw a single funeral! So no, no deaths at all except for those crazy alien things. Didn't Thor mention Loki was under mind control like Clint and Erik?_

_But whatever, Tony wasn't going to stand here staring down at a dead god with defensive thoughts. Just because no one was killed, didn't make Loki a heart warming guy that Tony was going to like and hug. Nope. He just felt bad._

_Loki didn't move._

_And now Tony was about to start yelling for someone. Instead he struck out with his palm and smacked Loki really hard in the face. Loki moaned deep in his throat and Tony couldn't help the relieved smile from appearing. As he watched Loki breath in and out, he noticed the bruises and blood slowly dissolve until its just flawless smooth skin again. Loki's skin is still a sickly pale but at least he isn't all purple, black and red looking. Tony doesn't realize he's so close to Loki until green eyes are staring straight at him and then a sneer appeared on Loki's face and he's kicking Tony right in the shin. Tony's reaction is to slap Loki across the face again at the pain and then pray that this isn't going to end in his guts splattered on the walls. 'Shit, great going, Tony'!_

_Instead, Loki just shifted until he's sitting straighter against the wall and turning his head to look up at the table with a jug of water. The need bright in his eyes._

_"Did you want some?" Tony can see what he's staring at and goes to get up; glad for a distraction when Loki grasped his arm and pulled him down._

_"I do not need my illusion to pity me." Was the growled response._

_"Dude, I'm not an illusion!"_

_Loki isn't listening as he griped the wall behind him and slowly began to stand, groaning and panting. Somehow Tony can hear tearing and some sort of sickening crunch as the god moved to stand. Finally, when Loki can stand without swaying, he started to move for the jug, licking his lips and reached out with his hand._

_Jesus, it was a disgusting pathetic sight and Tony wished the guy would just allow him to grab it instead of being a stubborn asshole._

_Then again, how many times has Tony done the exact thing when he was surrounded by willing friends?_

_Another strike on how eerily similar they were._

_Tony wanted to puke all over Loki's bare feet._

_Loki obviously didn't care for an audience or is that freaking thirsty because he's making a mess and making these content noises. Tony found himself looking away with an odd feeling blooming in his gut. The slamming of the jug falling back on the table, clearly empty, startled Tony and Loki stumbled back to sit in his usual spot on the floor._

_"I thought you were dead." Because Tony can't not talk._

_"I was merely regaining my health and strength back."_

_"Uh huh." Tony snorted, "So anyway, what's with this illusion shit? As you can tell, I'm solid." He slapped his hand onto the floor. Loki's green eyes were clear and he stared down at Tony's hand with interest. "And I slapped you twice."_

_"I am hallucinating from lack of water, food and blood loss. " It really sounded like Loki was talking to himself and that just pissed off Tony. He reached out and gripped Loki's thin wrist, amazed for a second before brushing it away. He squeezed hard enough until those eyes were staring at him._

_"I'm fucking real, buddy!" Okay, yelling might not be smart. "Why aren't they feeding you and giving you water? Asgardian prison can't be that bad for a prince like you."_

_Loki's face twisted in an ugly smirk and Tony can't help but flinch but his mask is back in place before anyone noticed._

_"Prince? I am no prince, Stark!" Loki then laughed, a harsh, bitter laugh that Tony's never heard. It made his insides freeze and the air around them grew cold for a moment. "I am merely a misbehaving animal that these people find joy in beating and putting it in its' true place."_

_"What? Everyone gets a turn in beating you?" He can't help but be queasy at that. "Shit, Loki-"_

_"Do not sit there and pity me, you fool!" Loki snarled, spit flying from his mouth and Tony doesn't dare reach up and swipe the spit away from his face, instead he allows Loki to get pissy and rant. One wrong move and he was dead in another world. "The guards, the same ones that I've grown up alongside are the culprits. The All-Father allows such a thing because I know by now the word of his son being a Jotunn has made its rounds like a harlot."_

_"What's a Jotunn?"_

_"Stark," It's a defeated word falling from his lips. "I have had this conversation with you millions of times-"_

_"Oh for fuck's sake, Loki!" Now his anger is back too, "I'm real this time! This collar keeps throwing me into your cell, this is my second time." Realizing he still has Loki's wrist, he griped it roughly before letting go._

_"What collar?" Okay, the narrowed eyes and suspicion rolling off the god in waves seemed to be the only proof. Finally. Maybe it'll stop._

_"This collar with green and gold runes on it."_

_Green eyes go wide with fear and Loki surging to his feet caused Tony to stand too, far away from the god._

_"It is just a collar? Where-Is it just the collar you found?" Loki shouted in strange anger and fear, advancing on the shorter man and Tony doesn't have time to speak before a cool hand is wrapped around his neck and lifting him against the wall; he can barely touch the floor. It isn't the same grip Loki used at the tower but Tony's heart thumps painfully in his chest anyway."Answer me, Stark! Is the-"_

_"Holy shit. You are crazy, you deserve to be in this cell." Tony croaked out, hands ripping at Loki's arms. "You mean is your killer wolf attached to it?" That got a reaction; thin lips and a tighter grip. "Fucker, let me go or I'll vanish!" That's a lie. Tony is beginning to think he's going to be stuck here forever. Loki obeyed, letting go and pacing away while Tony regained his footing. "He's not a giant wolf, by the way. I don't think anyone, including SHIELD would take too kindly to that. He'd be someone's dinner or display hanging on the wall." The god spun around, teeth bared and Tony clamped his mouth shut._

_"Fenrir is at your tower? Does anyone know of your ability to travel between your world?"_

_"Uhh, no. I haven't told anyone. Bruce knows the dog is Fenrir though." He shrugged. "Fenrir, huh? That's not a very creative name...coming from you."_

_Loki doesn't bother glancing his way and Tony sighed, put upon with that._

_"I will escape soon and retrieve my son, now that I know he is somewhere away from-" Loki cut himself off but he had said too much and Tony's a nosy son of a bitch, come on now._

_"What was that? So that giant dog has a reason for being at the tower?"_

_"This doesn't concern you." Loki snarled._

_"Clearly it does. I am taking care of your shitty son, asshole. Better start explaining before I drop him off at a shelter."_

_The confused look Loki sent his way made him sigh, hitting his forehead against his palm._

_"It's where you drop unwanted animals at. They eventually get adopted by other people."_

_Loki is once against advancing on him and it doesn't look like he's going to give Tony mercy when the pull started up and Loki stopped walking to stare at him with narrowed eyes, somehow there's a deeper emotion that looked like fear as Tony started to vanish._

_"Stark-"_ Loki's voice is a whisper but Tony is already gone and waking up in his bedroom. It's daylight out and Bruce is coming in with coffee and aspirin. The dog is laying next to him with large eyes and Tony reached out to pet him before sitting up. 

"I'm not calling you that, it's lame." He muttered.


	5. His Name is Jack. Jack Daniels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the late update. Writer's block isn't a friendly thing in my life.

Tony, thankfully, didn't have anymore insane 'Life with Loki in a cell' dreams or visions...whatever the fuck they are and he moved on. Moving on meant drinking insanely too much, blowing off Steve's 'team bonding' lectures and caring for the massive lump of a dog that is _Loki's fucking kid_ and trying not to have a mental breakdown when he finally succumbed to sleep.

After nearly eight days of no magical spells screwing with his mind, Tony relaxed and headed upstairs where he assumed everyone was. Eight days and the only person Tony had seen was Steve...not even his best science bro was around. It was a miserable eight days, really. 

When he emerged into the living room, he's slightly disappointed to see the place dark and empty. 

"Jarvis." Tony called out, heading straight for the kitchen to grab food because he feels a cramp coming on and knows damn well that he isn't a woman. Okay, he needed to stay out of Pepper's and Natasha's private conversations. Because ew, gross. 

"Yes sir." Jarvis' immediately responded.

"Where're the others? I was thinking of having a kick ass all-night movie marathon." Tony bent over, rummaging through the fridge, already ripping threw a pudding cup with his teeth. 

"All of the residents have gone out for the night." Jarvis answered, as if he's told Tony a million times. "I think the various notes plastered on your lab door, bar and cabinets explain that, sir."

Tony nearly banged his head on the freezer door, sucking down the pudding without a spoon and made a grumbling noise. His head turned slightly to the right and yep, there's a note in red sharpie from Clint. From here, Tony can make out the words 'Tin Can asshole'. 

"Well." Tony shut the door and leaned over to rip the paper from the cabinet and scanned it briefly before snorting, balling it up and tossing it behind him. "That's very inconsiderate of our guests. I don't believe I was invited."

"With all due respect, sir." Jarvis inquired, "Captain Rogers came to your lab at 5:00pm, 6:35pm and finally 7:10 to rouse you from your work and join them. Each time you were vulgar and told him-"

"Okay okay!" Tony waved his hands, shaking his head in bitter disappointment. "God, no wonder the guy hates me, J." With the cup done, he tossed it into the trash and headed straight for the bar. Once again, Clint had left a shitty note and Tony used it as a coaster for his scotch. After sipping delicately at his cold drink, he hummed and noticed the dog was missing too. "What, did they take the dog too?" He sounded a bit like a whiny teenager but whatever. He wished Natasha had Thor throw him bodily outside with them.. 

"No sir. Your companion is laying in front the elevator doors."

Guilt hit Tony low in the gut as he downed his drink in one gulp, slamming it down with a groan and refilling it again before stepping away from the bar and towards the elevators down the hall. Sadly enough, the black dog was staring up at the elevator with a pathetic 'I'm so lonely and tiny' expression, letting out a little whine of displeasure when the doors don't ding open. Tony watched for a few moments, marveling in the fact this dumb creature was Loki's son. Shouldn't he be fierce and not so much like a...kicked puppy? God, Tony really was getting soft. First Loki, now his stupid pitiful kid. 

Tony let out a sharp whistle, amazed when the dog jumped to his feet and spun around; expression going from utter sadness to extremely grateful in 0.3 seconds flat. 

"I didn't leave ya, buddy. C'mon." He patted his leg in a 'come on' motion before heading back into the living room. He continued to talk when he heard the clicking of the dog's nails following him closely. "Since humans hate me severely and want me to rot in boredom and alcohol, I thought we'd watch pointless explosions and fake fight scenes. How 'bout it?"

The dog let out a deep bark and plopped down in front of his bowls, whining again when Tony didn't glance his way. He did it again, only this time a very vicious growl escaped his throat and Tony found himself freezing in mid-pour of a new glass and slowly turning his face to peek around the wall, their eyes locked and the dog pawed at his bowls again, tilting his head in some sort of plea. 

"Okay, food first. Don't want you eating the couch, Cujo." Tony watched the dog's reaction but he merely huffed and whined again. "Seriously, I'm not calling you Fenrir." He winced, knowing he butchered that name badly. Good, he hoped Loki heard it. "Let's see. I'm going to eat steak...and you'll have this shitty dry dog food that is meant for inmates."

Tony kept talking, mostly thinking out loud as he cooked his steak (he really needed some sort of nourishment that pudding wasn't giving him) and fed the dog but snuck pieces of meat to him too. What could be say, the dog gave Tony his full attention and seemed to actually _listen_ as he bitched about his suit and the latest villain schemes. When he was done, he headed into the living room, ordered a random movie and reminded himself he was to eat slowly or he'd choke. The dog, sensing his plate was almost empty, jumped onto the couch and plopped down, staring straight at the TV, eyes flickering over the images. 

Tony found himself more engrossed in watching the dog watch the movie than actually wondering what was going on in the movie. It was sort of creepy when the intelligence sparked in Fenrir's eyes and for some odd reason all Tony saw was pure _Loki_ in those eyes. Really, you're probably asking yourself: How is Loki inside this dog but Tony can't even explain it. He supposed he could understand why Loki cared so much about the creature. It was Loki's creation and apart of him in some way. 

When the credits rolled on and Jarvis changed it to another pointless action movie at Fenrir's growl, Tony briefly wondered how Loki was. 

As if reading his thoughts, the dog turned to him, eyes shining with acknowledgment and Tony rubbed at his neck, knowing he was caught. 

"Look, I don't give a shit about your dad." The dog snorted and Tony blinked before recovering quickly, "Yeah, okay. I really don't want him in that cell while continuously dying after he's beaten, okay? I'm old and have a heart too, ya know!" Okay, why was he getting defensive to a dog. "Fuck, I need a drink. Watch your movie." He waved at the screen and strode over to his bar, contemplating what to drink. Scotch just wasn't doing it. No, he needed something different. He instantly eyed the full bottle of Jack Daniels and shrugged, pouring a generous amount and leaned over the counter, looking around the room with boredom. It wasn't until his eyes landed on the dog that he realized it was staring right at him, scowling. If a dog could make that kind of expression. "Seriously. Stop." He warned, voice hitching when the eyes narrowed. "I'm not visiting him."

The dog barked, jumping down and Tony could've sworn the floor shook a bit as he trotted over, nudging the bottle of Jack. 

"No! Mine!" Tony went to grab it but he was already a bit tipsy and the bottle tipped, spilling the sweet liquid onto the dog's snout. The dog glared again before licking at the liquid then bent down to lap at the contents on the floor. "Shit! No! Bad dog!" 

Fenrir growled and his lapping became more intense and Tony 'accidently' brushed against the collar. 

"Fuck you dog! I swear-" _Tony heard his glass shatter but he was already standing in the cell, half drunk and half pissed off. Loki, it must've been Sunday, was sitting on a couch or something with a book open on his lap. There weren't any bruises or blood anywhere near the God so Tony counted that as a good thing. He scowled internally at himself for the flash of relief inside his gut at that. The teleportation made him see double and probably had a shitty affect of making his drunk state more pronounce. When his vision finally settled, Loki's green eyes were staring at him in a very blank expression._

_"Oh, hello." Tony greeted, smiling and waving as he stumbled away from the glass wall and closer to the figure. Loki flicked his wrist and the book appeared on the table as the lithe man sat up and placed his bare feet on the cold stone. "I see you're still..alive."_

_"Did the teleportation split you in two?" Was Loki's greeting after a few moments of silence. Tony's stomach lurched but he didn't puke out that delicious steak so that's good. He approached the table with the water and latched onto the edge, knuckles turning white._

_"Huh? Oh. I was drinking but...shit, this is making it worse."_

_Loki's lips twitched upward for a second before smoothing out. Tony stared hard at the jug of water, not wanting to let go of the table so Loki came over and poured him a glass, pressing the metal cup to his lips. Their eyes met again and Loki tilted his head, eyebrow arched._

_"Open." Loki ordered, softly. Tony, just really wanting some damn water, complied (he grumbled in his head, it counted) and parted his lips, letting Loki tilt the cup a bit. Their eyes stayed locked and Tony shuddered when Loki's eyes zeroed on his parted lips before flickering back up to his eyes again. This was more intimate than Tony thought possible. After a rather cold but refreshing gulp, he turned his head away and Loki lowered the cup onto the table._

_The water did wonders and Tony felt a bit sobered so he glanced around the room but nothing really changed except for the couch or cot._

_"Moving up in the world?" Tony motioned towards it._

_"How very hilarious." Loki deadpanned. "Not that I am complaining for the unexpected company, but what are you doing here?"_

_"I accidently grabbed the collar while-" He cut himself off. Like hell he was telling Loki his son was probably wasted on Jack Daniels. Heh, well...that's a good name for the dog. "I named him Jack."_

_"His name is Fenrir, Stark." Loki bit out. "It would do you good to remember my son's actual name."_

_"Eh, says you. I can do what I want."_

_Waiting for Loki to slam him against a wall, Tony was surprised when Loki let out a tiny chuckle._

_"Indeed you do. I was beginning to assume you were not going to return at all."_

_Was that hurt in the God's voice? Hm._

_"Aw, did you miss me?" Tony cooed._

_"What if I did?" Green eyes leered and Tony's body flushed before he broke contact and studied the walls again, like a coward. "It has been a year since last I had your gracious company."_

_"Holy shit!" Tony spun around and got a good look at the god before him. Loki's hair was even longer, pale waxy skin but not dead looking, green eyes a very bright color that Tony was sure it wasn't an actual color in the Crayon Box. But he did have new clothes on, a V-cut leather shirt and very loose leather pants. Still no shoes though. But really, he could braid that hair. "Remind me next time I should bring scissors." He mused. As if just noticing, Loki's long fingered hand reached up to touch at the black tresses with a deep frown._

_"I suppose I should allow an enemy near my throat with sharp razors."_

_"You-Hey, I was being serious. I can cut hair. You look like a half starved woman."_

_The pointed look on the God's face caused Tony to laugh, "I won't like stab you. Really, it's bothering me. I can braid it." Tony made the mistake of reaching out and unlike Loki, the skinny figure flinched and took a step back. The flinch was gone and replaced with a death glare, almost close to the look when Loki tried to destroy New York, but Tony already saw the fear._

_"Shit. Don't. Damn. I shouldn't feel so guilty." He wasn't sure what he was referring to._

_"That invasion was a mere slap on the wrist." Loki brushed it off, standing stiffly now. "I have committed other monstrosities."_

_"Oh? Okay, tell me." Tony wagged his eyebrows, liking this new subject._

_Loki looked at him with boredom, "Ask Thor. I do not wish to speak of the past."_

_Tony snorted but let it go, "When are you getting out?"_

_"Why, Stark. Is this an invitation to further our visits?" That lewd smirk was enough to make Tony pause._

_"Hardly." Tony glared, "Don't come near the tower, buddy. I have weapons that will split you in half before you can blink."_

_"That just makes me want to rush to your home even more." Loki laughed, bitterly. He sat down on his cot with a huff, spreading his fingers on his thighs while watching Tony pace in the small box of a cell. Tony ignored that comment and instead focused on the topic._

_"So, I see you look less...bloody."_

_"It is Sunday."_

_With that, Tony had to lean against the wall to laugh, clutching his aching stomach while Loki watched before slowly joining in, like he understood. He probably did, Loki wasn't an idiot._

_Tony finally recovered, wiping at the tears on his cheeks and slid down the wall so he could relax and stare at Loki at a good distance._

_"A year, huh?"_

_Loki nodded, seeming to find Tony's relaxed position as a welcome as he made himself comfortable on the cot, staring up at the ceiling with a calm air around him. This was different and Tony wasn't sure if he liked it._

_"I imagine, if I am correct, I have 200 more years to endure."_

_"Shit, really?" Loki nodded even though Tony's question wasn't really needing an answer. "Will..we'll all be dead by then."_

_Loki glanced down at him before letting out a calm breath, "Indeed you will be."_

_Tony let the silence consume them, thinking of a Loki 200 years from now. He wonders if that Loki will go completely insane or if he'll be calm like the one a few feet before him._

_"Your son is doing good, by the way." Tony spoke up again._

_Loki smiled, "Very good." In a way it was a 'thank you' and didn't that worry Tony. Another silence._

_"I enjoy your solid company over the illusion much better." This time Loki was speaking first and Tony couldn't help the tiny smile._

_"I haven't talked to anyone that didn't have fur or was a robot in like...eight days." That was Tony's way of saying 'Same here'._

_"Your companions have left?"_

_"Nah. I just...avoid them. It's weird to have a superhero team living alongside you. I'm used to my robots and nothing else. Now, I run into a very nude Thor...pick up Clint's discarded bow and see Natasha with bedhead. Really, it's so..." Tony was waving his hands around, trying to find the word._

_"Domestic." Loki finished, amused._

_"Exactly!" Tony grinned. "I just freak out and hide away."_

_Loki hummed, "I did that a lot growing up. I was constantly found in the Library or my chambers, reading or practicing magic. Odin did not find my...absence as a healthy obsession. I was forced to go on hunting trips with Thor and his friends." Loki's voice turned bitter, the glass near him frosted over._

_"Now you have all the alone time you want." Tony cut in, eyeing the frost with worry. Loki seemed to notice and sighed, the frost vanished._

_"As if that is a good thing." Loki turned his head to stare at Tony, their eyes connecting again, like a magnetic. "Now that I am alone constantly, I want company. What a very odd realization." He smirked again but it had a soft edge. Like he was humbled._

_Tony figured his time was up when he noticed his legs vanishing before he could reply. Loki noticed too and sat up quickly enough for Tony to wince and debate if God's got vertigo. Loki looked young all of a sudden and Tony thought of the long gap between visits. He didn't think Loki needed company, **his** company, so badly. _

_"Hey, I'll visit more. So you don't go...insane and come after Earth when you.." His voice broke when the spell worked over his torso._

_"Yes, for entertainment and therapy purposes."_ It sounded like Loki was trying to make a joke but Tony was already slouched on the floor in his tower; Jack (yeah, Fenrir was a stupid name) licking him happily on the face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Tony will start calling Fenrir 'Jack' until later in the story when Loki is back in the picture. Just don't want to confuse anyone.


	6. Bonds Getting Stronger and Friendships Weakening

It was sometime in the late morning when Steve and Bruce appeared in Tony's lab, looking ashamed and wasn't that a new look for Steve. Tony pretended to ignore them as he bossed Jarvis around, five different coffee's sitting empty on his work bench. 

"Jarvis, do I need to do another virus scan? You're getting all glitch-y and it's causing me to panic." As if to show a point, the hologram flickered, deleting the new structure Tony just added and it was back to just a flimsy piece of arm metal. Tony tapped on his reactor, biting his lip with clear worry for his A.I. 

"I think that may be wise, sir." Jarvis answered after a very long moment. 

"Fuck." Tony bit out, slamming his hands down and the cups and other utensils clattered together. "Don't bother saving anything, J. Not like you were letting me keep anything worth saving for later anyway." He grumbled to show his concern. "Alright, do a complete re-boot and after you're fired up, open up Virus Scan 3.9." He paused to rub at his overgrown beard, "Shut off communications in all levels except the Avengers just in case you sense something is wiry."

"Yes, sir." Jarvis replied and then everything in the lab went dark and it was eerily silent. Tony rubbed at his chest before deciding standing in the middle of his darkened lab was stupid so he turned only to jump about three feet in the air and lose his breath at the sight of two dark shadows. 

"Jesus Christ on a toast!" He blurted out much to Steve's disappointed look and Bruce cracking a smile. "How long were you standing around like creeps?" He pushed past his friends to exit the lab and head for the elevator. Coffee was making him jittery and walking up a full flight of stairs probably wouldn't end well. 

"Long enough to hear Jarvis stutter like a school girl." Bruce replied, slipping into the elevator behind Tony and Steve. 

"I might've broken him." Tony muttered, "He kept wanting a re-boot but I'm a dick and kept denying it." He slumped forward, "I'm a bad father, Bruce."

Bruce looked at Steve with worried eyes while Steve went back to looking extremely guilty. After a moment, Tony straightened up and he might've fell asleep for 5 seconds and that did the job of re-charging him for at least another 15 minutes. 

"So! What's with the looks?" Brown eyes scanned both his friends' faces with suspicion. "You didn't blow up my room did you? Or go get Thai without me? Or let Clint use my fridge as a target...because really, that little bastard is getting on my last nerves-"

"Tony!" Steve's hand landed on his shoulder, blue eyes wide. "We're just sorry for not inviting you to dinner last night."

Tony shrugged off Steve's hand, feeling itchy and hot as the elevator dinged and opened to the living room. Clint and Thor were at the couch, playing Mario Brothers and hitting each other to make the other mess up. Natasha was sitting on the other couch with a book, eyeing the two with a fond smile. Tony skipped right over the living room and headed into the kitchen for actual food. Jack was laying by his food bowls snoring loudly as Tony stepped over him without a glance downward. 

"Jarvis said you invited me but I was being an asshole."

"Yeah well, still." Steve shrugged, "Natasha demanded we use Thor and his brute strength but I said no."

Tony gave Steve a smile to show he wasn't pissed off and grabbed the necessary items for a sandwich. Bruce decided to make tea since he seemed to realize Tony was shaking like a branch in a hurricane. Tony hated tea but when Bruce made it, God it was heavenly. Tony had to admit he let Bruce get away with a lot of things that normally he'd bitch and complain about. 

"Seriously." Tony sighed as he quickly (and sloppily) threw a sandwich together and grabbed the mug of hot tea and settled at the counter without sitting. "Stop being a mother hen. I did fine without you bossing me around and telling me what I needed to do before you came outta the ice."

Steve's guilty expression vanished and he looked clearly offended as he leaned against the doorframe, huge arms crossing over his chest. Those baby blues narrowed and lips thinned. Tony glanced up but lowered his eyes to stare into the dark liquid of his tea and chomp on his sandwich with the pace of a solider during breakfast or...a starved man. Bruce shifted his weight and Tony could feel the uncomfortable waves from his friend. 

"I'm not doing any of that." Steve said, tone betraying how offended and close to getting pissed he was. "We look out for each other. I thought I was just doing my job."

"And that's fine. Really, leader making us bond and all that fancy shit but I don't always want to go places."

"Really?" Steve sounded completely surprised. And sarcastic. Damn, someone was teaching the good innocent soldier sarcasm. "Because you're always off to a club or out to dinner and I don't remember any of us being invited. Look, I'm not fighting-"

"Neither am I!" Tony finally looked up with the deadliest glare he could imagine. 

"-But I feel bad!" Steve kept on plowing through. "You're always stuck in your lab working until you're practically one foot in the grave!" Steve raised his voice, showing off that brave Captain America 'Listen-to-me-and-obey' voice. At this moment it irked Tony and got under his skin. The genius gritted his teeth but remembered to smooth out his features. 

"I don't know how this is a surprise for you, Rogers." Steve winced at the formal greeting. "But I'm always working. And there's nothing that can drag me from that. Except Jarvis shutting down." He added quickly, "Team bonding activities are fine, but not every day. And don't come down there where I'm in my element to give me those puppy eyes because I refused. I was pissed off last night but you know what, I had things to do." Like visit a Norse God and actually maybe gain a friend. "You guys are welcomed to go out without me."

"This isn't about last night." Natasha spoke up from behind Steve and Tony watched the blonde jump and move out of the way for her to glide into the room. "We get worried about you, Stark." She tried to act as stoic as possible but spending so much time with all of them made her cracks visible and Tony could see a hint of concern in her dark eyes. "We found the broken glass and alcohol on the floor and we think you need to spend more time outside."

Tony swung his head towards Bruce who was rubbing his glasses clean and averting his eyes away from Tony. 

"Seriously, is this some sort of intervention?"

No one said anything. 

"Speaking of which, Jack knocked down the glass. Not me." He crossed his arms and stuck his nose up. 

"Jack?" Steve smiled a little. 

"Yep. It really fits. He might have a hangover too, so let's keep the bitching to a minimal." He gulped down the rapidly cooling tea and noticed his hand was shaking even more. "I need more coffee." He turned to face the coffee maker, hoping it would throw everyone off but Natasha grabbed his shoulders and forced him towards Steve who stepped out of the way. He made little noises in the back of his throat but there was no way he was going to fight Natasha, that was scary and he liked all of his limps where they were: attached to his body.

"Time for bed." Natasha warned, steering him towards his bedroom. 

"But Jarvis'll be up soon." He complained but reached for the knob and could barely turn it when it felt like his muscles were weak. Natasha reached out and opened it for him and when he spotted his unmade bed, he sighed and twisted out of her death grip to fall on the bed. His eyes shut automatically but he sensed Steve and Natasha in his room still. "Wake me when Jarvis comes back online..." He yawned, jaw cracking, "Really."

"Maybe." Natasha responded with an edge and he barely heard the echoing sound of the door closing before he was down for the count. 

_"Are you going to continue to remain face first in the snow?"_

_Tony jolted and immediately spat the snow that somehow he managed to pull into his mouth. He sat up to see Loki standing before him with an amused smile on his pale face. Okay, no, Loki's face wasn't pale right now. Tony squinted past the thickness of snow and saw Loki's skin was actually a light blue and darkening the more he stared. Tony scrambled to his feet and glanced around the place to see endless land of fog and snow, other than that, the land looked flat without anything else. Tony turned his eyes back to Loki who continued to look seconds from laughing. The God stepped closer until Tony didn't have to squint and yeah, that was freaky._

_"Your skin-" He concentrated on Loki's face as the blue became dark, indigo maybe and there were intricate lines running along the otherwise smooth skin._

_"This is my true form."_

_Tony leaned closer and tilted his head, blinking back the flakes that landed on his eyelashes and skewered his view._

_"Well shit. That's pretty fucking awesome." Tony breathed and lowered his bright eyes to look into Loki's and automatically made a startled noise and stepped back once. "The red eyes, that's more creepy."_

_Loki huffed a laugh and blinked, looking away to study the snow. Tony's eyes roamed over Loki and his newly acquired skin color, noticing the lines were darker and connected somehow. It didn't matter when the God was dressed back in his leather and armor._

_"Wait, why are you dressed normal? Where are we?"_

_"Your dream." Loki answered._

_Tony frowned and hated the pang of regret that blossomed behind his arc reactor._

_"Oh, so you're not really here." He took another step away and glanced away from the fascinating form of Loki. "Wonderful, that's really disappointing."_

_Loki's laugh echoed and Tony couldn't help but smile a little at the sound, it sounded free and truly happy._

_"Of course I am here!" Loki spread his arms around where snow flakes gathered on his leather coat. "Our bond must've connected quite deeper than I imagined when you last visited."_

_"What, you mean I'm dreaming you here for real?"_

_Loki's smile was blinding and Tony sucked in a deep breath of winter air. Huh, Tony glanced down and saw he was just in jeans and a wife beater._

_"What the hell, why isn't it cold?" He demanded._

_"It's your dream, Stark." Loki tilted his head, raising an eyebrow at the shorter man. "It's all in your mind."_

_"Then why are you blue? Hm?" Though Tony secretly enjoyed this new sight of Loki, and damn if he didn't want to reach out and touch._

_"Because I made it so." Loki shrugged, smile dropping as he cupped his hands together to gather a handful of white snow, looking at it with curious eyes. "This is very detailed." He added as an afterthought. Tony had no idea what he was talking about so he stepped closer until Loki's fingers were almost brushing his chest to peer down and chuckled at the intricate patterns of the snow. It didn't melt in Loki's hands and the flakes were something you saw in a child's Christmas show._

_"Even in my sleep I'm a complicated guy." Tony joked. Loki was silent before he craned his neck to blow at the snow and it hit Tony directly in the face, more so in his eyes. As soon as it hit, he was freezing and he shuddered, scrubbing the cold water off of his face. Loki laughed again just as Tony gained full sight and turned tail to run off._

_Tony blinked, the fucker was running away like a happy child during its first snow. At first all Tony wanted to do was say 'What the flying hell is going on? Am I drugged?' but then his instincts kicked in or well rather kicked off since he should be trying to wake up and he gathered a handful of not-cold snow and chased the tall God. The snow was at least two feet deep but it seemed neither of them sunk; literally skimming the very top as they ran. Usually in Tony's dreams, he was slow in his running or having a panic attack or trying to get away from men that wanted his head. But it was like a totally different feeling while he ran around in this winter dreamland, not having a panic attack, not thinking of how this was wrong. And defiantly chasing a Norse God turned Frost Giant or whatever Loki called it, with a grand smile on his face and his heart pounding with excitement._

_The chase ended when Loki managed to knock him down with a massive snowball. His stomach muscles hurt from laughing and his cheeks were burning from the smile on his face. As he blinked up at the dark sky and little white spots of snow cascading down, he thought **this isn't so bad**. Loki's blue, intricate and startling face came into view and Tony lifted a hand to wave, feeling drunk as it fell again. Loki looked totally confused, red eyes narrowed in suspicion and Tony watched those fascinated wild eyes roam over his face and lack of proper winter clothing and then meet his brown eyes again, pupils dilating until the genius could see the ring of red. The kick in his reactor, or maybe it was his heart for sure, changed his mind from 'this isn't so bad' to 'holy shit, he wants to eat me and not in the cannibal kind of way'. _

_And just like Tony in other awkward, unapproachable situations, he found a different route to distract not only himself but the person. So he began to flap his arms and legs. The quick movement caused Loki to back off and his eyes went back to normal, his eyebrow raised and lips thin with even more confusion._

_"What are you doing?" The God asked slowly, he might've thought he was a total idiot or convulsing._

_"Making a snow angel!" Tony grinned, moving his limps a couple more times before jumping to his feet and peered down to see his creation. "Er, usually they are better looking."_

_Loki tilted his head, examining the figure made in the snow before walking away and plopping down on his back without a warning. Tony watched, trying to hold back his laughter at how absurd this looked, hoping to keep this particular hilarious moment in his minds eye. When Loki was finished, he did the same thing as Tony and grinned proudly._

_"I won this contest."_

_"Fuck you." Tony spat without heat, "It wasn't a contest." And like the child he was, he kicked his foot out and messed up the perfect snow angel. Loki growled and Tony was a bit freaked out and tried to pinch himself to wake up before Loki did rip him to pieces, when the lithe but oddly heavy body slammed into him and they fell in the snow in a heap. The powder rose into the air around them from the heavy impact and Tony grunted, trying to get his hands free from where they were stuck between their chests. "You asshole, get off."_

_"Apologize." Loki's face came into view again and he had a blue hand around Tony's throat and yeah, that's scary._

_"Sorry." He muttered. Loki smirked, almost like the cat that caught the canary. "Asshole." he added just as Loki managed to free himself. The death glare that was shot his way made him stick out his tongue and take off._

_In the middle of running, Loki close enough to tackle but not quite giving into his urge, Tony wondered what was going on. "Why the hell are we chasing each other like five year olds?" Thankfully, in dreams he wasn't out of breath._

_"Because clearly you are running away from me." Loki called out then seemed to really think. "This is strange.." He pondered._

_Tony stopped and turned to see Loki had stopped too, looking around him, at his blue hands then at Tony._

_"Turning blue made you act like a child. I don't think I've ever heard you laugh so much." Tony interrupted what looked like Loki having a mental breakdown._

_Just like that, Loki was back to being a pale Asgardian dressed in his cell clothes and looking sickly. His hands were still out stretched and green eyes were too bright in the white snow. Tony approached slowly until they were only a couple feet apart._

_"Hey..." He coaxed gently, "It's not bad...Maybe you're understanding everything."_

_Loki's face twisted in disgust and he spat in front of Tony like the brunette was a monster, his hands clenched in fists and fell limp at his sides._

_"I understand nothing of what you're implying, Tony." Loki bit out but Tony could see the God wasn't truly pissed off. Just unsure what the hell was going on, he even looked a bit sad. "Wake up so I can stop living a dream."_

_Tony reached out just as the snow stopped falling and it grew cold around them_

_"Goddamn it, Loki." He snapped. Loki's smile was bleak. Tony's fingers passed through Loki's face as the dream ended abruptly._

Tony found himself back in New York, where it was late spring and in his too warm bed. 

The dream lingered and Tony remembered with sharp clarity that might've been the first time Loki used his first name. The sheets twisted underneath his clenched hands as he shook the entire dream free from his mind. 

"I have returned to tell you I have removed the virus and I am now completely virus-free, sir." Jarvis' voice startled Tony in his silent room and he closed his eyes, exhausted even though he knew he slept at least two hours. 

"Thanks, Jarvis." He managed, "I'll be down soon, start up the hologram from earlier."

"Of course, sir."

Tony stared up at his blank white ceiling and felt the ache of something pound in time of his heart before he forced himself up and into a long hot shower. 

~*~*~*~*~

When Tony returned to the lab about fifteen minutes later, Bruce was busy working on what he dubbed 'The Loki Project'. Clearly he was boring when it came to project titles because Tony was sure he could come up with like a hundred witty and hilarious titles in maybe 2 minutes. But Bruce was a simple sort of guy and Tony didn't offer his brilliance. 

"Oh hey." Bruce greeted once he stopped typing away on his laptop long enough. Tony, bored and sighing for the hundredth time to get his attention, lazily spun the hologram of the suit's armor around. "Did you have a good nap?"

Tony internally winced and averted his eyes to the sketch of the add-ons for the armor. 

"Yep. What happened after I went into dreamland?" 

Bruce shrugged, "Nothing really. Steve and Natasha had a long, quiet talk about rules and you."

Tony made an inquiring noise but knew exactly what was said, he didn't always need spy-Jarvis but having secretive little shits as friends always came in handy. Tony heard every word and he might've felt a bit depressed at what those two said but whatever, Tony was used to it.

"You spied on them, didn't you?" 

"Of course I did." Tony snarled and saw his friend look at him quickly with concern before he smothered the anger and met Bruce's eyes with a thin smile, "One thing you should understand, Banner. Is that I don't really give two shits what those two think or say about me."

Bruce opened his mouth but Tony wasn't finished. 

"I get I'm a hermit unless it comes to SI or charities but I've been like this since I was 10. Whatever hurtful words that spill from their lips doesn't damage me." He tapped at his reactor, "I've heard worse." There was a reason he stayed away from crowds unless he could easily escape. 

"I know you have, Tony." Bruce began, "I was here when they refused to move straight in. I remember your breakdowns and panic attacks. _I know, okay?_ " And that's why, ladies and gentlemen, Bruce Banner was Tony's best friend. Because he knew. Honestly, it wasn't the first time something insulting was being said about a teammate. When Bruce first arrived, everyone talked about the man. They were worried he'd attack everyone or if he was honestly that great for the team. So yes, Bruce understood. Hell, if Tony asked Clint that little bastard probably understood too. What with being mind-controlled by Loki like a flying monkey. But that was clearly concern though Clint didn't want that. It seemed only Bruce and Tony were the ones that needed that extra push. "I'm not saying they're right," Tony groaned and banged his head on the table, "But we should go out more. It was really fun last time." Bruce's voice was soft and warm. "Thor always makes it funny and less awkward...he even causes Steve to-"

"Lose that stick up his ass?" Tony guessed and raised his eyes to see Bruce smiling. "As long as we sit together and discuss gamma radiation and how the sun doesn't explode when we're all together, then I'll go to a few."

Bruce's smile got bigger and damn, that was clear affection on the man's face that Tony soaked in with pride and returned a smile of his own. 

"Now." He cleared his throat, "I need coffee and I think Jack deserves a walk...I'm a bad parent. Aren't I, Jarvis?"

"Of course not, sir." Jarvis replied, "I find you to be a perfect parent for us."

"Aww, you say the sweetest things." Tony teased, blowing a kiss at the camera in the corner before shutting down his hologram (he probably wouldn't return to it for at least three weeks) and headed for the doors. "Want anything while I'm out, honey-bear?" He angled the question at Bruce. 

"No, I'm good. Stay away from caffeine." The scientist called out, already distracted by something on the screen. Tony snorted but didn't voice anything as he left and went to grab Jack and head out of the tower with the massive dog. 

The fresh air and ambling walk was enough to get Tony in a good mood as he slipped on his sunglasses and headed deeper into the city. Sadly Starbucks didn't deliver so he figured it wouldn't kill him to walk, besides Jack more likely slept all day. The dog looked happy too, tail wagging when people passed by, large tongue hanging out to the side. A lot of people, of course, recognized him and asked for autographs but it seemed they were pretty surprised he owned a dog too. Somehow that fact attracted a lot of gorgeous women who fawned over Jack and 1 out of 2 would ask for Tony's number. Usually Tony didn't give people, mostly women who he might sleep with, his number but he could always get Pepper to change it when it became too much. 

As they rounded the corner of Starbucks, Tony eyed the people sitting outside and the lone pole that he could tie Jack to. The line inside was pretty long and even if Tony Stark was famous, that didn't mean people weren't going to steal what was his. Jack looked up at him with questioning brown eyes and Tony smiled reassuringly, opening the doors and allowing the dog to amble in before him. 

"Hey! No dogs allowed!" The owner somewhere shouted from the counter. Tony slipped off his sunglasses and peered around the large line of gaping strangers to meet the man's eyes. "Oh! Mr. Stark, I apologize!"

Tony grinned and waved half-heartedly as he went back to standing in line. Jack took it as a long wait and sat down, still panting and glancing around at all of the people. The place was packed and Tony began to feel a bit claustrophobic but only smiled warmly at people who walked by them and tried not to make a fool of himself. The line slowly moved forward and the older man lost himself in people watching and the noise of the coffee machines, his hand gripping the leash rested on Jack's furry head. The dog, sensing how Tony was getting, eased himself so his head was resting on Tony's thigh, a solid thing to ground Tony. When he looked down, Jack was staring up at him with this cute little expression and he found his heart slowing back to normal. 

"Good boy." He praised softly. Maybe having a dog wasn't such a bad thing after all. Just as they were moving once again in line--only three more people, someone stepped within touching distance of Tony and he flinched, heart spiking and it didn't help the person noticed the dog and crouched down. 

"Is he yours?" Brown eyes settled on the stranger that was now face to face with the beast of a dog and he hoped Jack didn't find the man offensive and bite his face off. But Jack remained calm and didn't move a muscle. The stranger peered up at Tony with a tired smile and the billionaire nearly stumbled back into the customer behind him at the familiar face. 

"Uh, y-yeah." He answered, stuttering and cleared his throat. 

"He's massive." The man commented and gave Jack one more loving pat before standing. "Sorry about getting into your personal space." He made quick hand gestures and Tony thought for a second he'd see green magic spurt from the palms. 

"Loki?" 

"No?" The man's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion, "I'm Tom. Are you quite alright, you look like you've seen a ghost."

Tony finally got enough guts to spare the man more than a passing glance and spotted all of the flaws that weren't Loki. Like the much lighter almost wavy short hair, the three piece suit but the green eyes and pale skin remained the same. Well, okay, Loki was so much paler than this man that probably saw the sun more than the caged God. The smile was warm but somehow it still reminded Tony of the dream last night--Okay. Not the time. 

"I'm great, a little low on sugar." He held out his hand (just because the man would look hurt if he didn't), "Tony Stark."

Tom smiled, delighted and shook his hand before the customer behind Tony cleared their throat. 

"Oops, I suppose I should be going. Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Stark." He sent the older man a smile before vanishing out of the building. Jack whined and pulled on the leash and Tony, a bit shakily, approached the counter and ordered the largest and most complicated drink they had. He made sure to leave a hefty tip for the exhausted looking barista before hurrying out into the spring day with his beloved drink and Jack. 

"That was freaky." He muttered. Jack looked up and huffed. "Oh, c'mon! It looked just like him!"

Shouting at a dog will give you weird looks. Rule #153: let's not do that. 

"Okay, maybe not after you get a close look." Tony said more quieter. "I hope you don't teleport this kind of shit to Loki yourself. I'd be embarrassed all to hell." He groaned and sipped obscenely at his drink. "Shit, this isn't good at all."

The small bark Jack let out sounded like an agreement and Tony swallowed anymore words of compliant and headed for the park to let the demon run freely and stew in his fucked up situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well then. That was different. And there won't be anymore Tom...I don't think. Unless Loki wants to be a crafty little bastard.


	7. An Expected Twist

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel bad for delaying this chapter and for the shortness of it but my inspiration for everything on writing has been absent. I hope this will tide you all over until I actually make a bigger chapter. Thanks for all the kudos/comments!

Somehow for the next two weeks, Tony ended up walking Jack to Starbucks and then the park. Sometimes it was rainy so the walks were cut very short and then sometimes it was so beautiful that even Tony participated in playing fetch with Jack. He had no idea how the dog found a spare ball but he did and he always whined just cute enough until Tony felt guilty and threw it. 

Basically the park became their little getaway place and it kept the others off his case when he disappeared because he was being good and 'getting fresh air'. It made sneaking off to sleep or hide in his locked workshop to teleport to Loki much easier. 

The bond between Loki and him was pretty impressive but he didn't really dwell too much on how exactly it worked. When he was teleported into Loki's cell by the collar, Loki remained silent and bloody, skin waxy and unnaturally pale. But when Tony slept and met up with the God in another 'dream realm' Loki was grinning and gorgeous. Sometimes it wasn't uncommon for them to meet up twice a day or even more when Tony accidently dozed off in the lab. 

Tony wondered if he talked out loud when he was in the 'dream realm' and figured he didn't want to risk this secret getting out if the others somehow entered the lab. That's why he made sure to always have Jarvis lock everything down. Maybe he should have Jarvis monitor him while he slept...

"Hey Tony!" Steve's bright, too chipper voice greeted him as he stumbled into the kitchen. Judging by the surprised glances everyone was shooting him as he poured himself coffee, they hadn't seen him up this early in probably months. Leave it to Loki and his adventures to get him an entire nights sleep. 

"Shh, no talkie." Tony muttered, fingers shaking as he dropped just a tad bit of sugar into the black liquid and leaned down to slurp. He might've misjudged the amount of coffee he poured into the mug. As the scalding hot liquid did its proper routine of chasing away the sleep muddling his mind, he stared blankly at the kitchen table. Apparently someone (probably Steve, he looked like the cooking type) had made everyone breakfast and all of the team was sitting at the table. Tony wasn't a big breakfast eater so he didn't even feel upset that no one saved him anything. Between Steve, Clint and Thor there wouldn't be very much left. After a few more tentative sips, he blinked and realized the entire room was silent. Like they were actually waiting for him. "Uh, hey everyone."

"It is an odd spectacle to see you freshly awake at this hour." Thor rumbled, setting his fork down on his empty plate. 

"Heh, yeah." Tony lifted a shoulder in a slight shrug. "I'm actually functioning like a normal person." 

"Speaking of being normal, we were planning on hitting the movies this weekend." Clint mentioned, "You in, man?"

Tony stared blankly at the archer, mind trying to picture a calendar and what the exact date was. 

"It's Tuesday, Stark." Natasha spoke up, mouth quirking up as she twirled her fork slowly in between her fingers. "Maybe not so normal." She mumbled. 

"I heard that." Tony pointed out, finishing his rapidly cooling coffee and slipping the empty mug into the sink. "But sure. We're all going?" That seemed a bit weird but...

Steve chuckled, "Yes, all of us. We've been going out every weekend so far." The twist of his mouth wasn't particularly proud and Tony instantly knew why. Tony either refused to go or wasn't even bothered if he was locked away or sleeping. Jesus, Loki was taking too much of his time. Tony's eyes roamed quickly over his teammates and realized everyone had a slight hopeful glint in their eyes, even Natasha and Clint and that was pretty damn impressive and caused his heart to warm just a bit. 

"Sure." He played off the nonchalant move but nothing got past his friends. 

"Great!" Steve grinned, "We'll remind you, obviously." 

Tony smiled over at the blonde who was collecting dishes from the table. 

"When did you become the mother of this team, Cap?" He joked. 

"It's pretty easy to tell why." Natasha smirked over at the brunette. "Bruce will stress until he bursts a blood vessel," Bruce blushed and ducked his head shyly, "Thor can't handle anything delicately." Thor laughed loudly, nodding his head, "And-"

"And the Super Spy Twins can't get too domestic or no one will take you all seriously?" Tony interrupted, throwing the redhead a shit eating grin. Honestly, he expected her to toss one of those knives she has hidden somewhere on her person but instead Natasha and Clint shared a silent look and smiled brightly at the genius. Somehow that was much more disarming and he tore his gaze away from them. Just standing here was making Tony see how domestic the team had become. Steve was doing dishes and cooking meals, Bruce was actually sticking around and looking way more relaxed, Natasha and Clint were _smiling happily_ and Thor wasn't even trying to destroy anything or talk extremely loud. Hell, Tony was still fucking standing here, feeling all sentimental and _family_ with them. Not in a million years did he expect to have people stay with him in the tower, let alone individuals that were equally broken and messed up as him. It took years to even let Pepper stay the night without him tucking tail and escaping into the lab until she got the clue and didn't search for him. Now these people were worming their ways into the magnetic of his heart and making him smile. Making him warm and proud and all those warm fucking feelings that he hadn't had since...ever. 

A sharp bark interrupted Tony's musings but the conversations that had somehow started between each of his friends continued on. He spotted Jack standing in the doorway, leash clutched tightly between his jaws and tail wagging; brown eyes locked right on Tony. 

Unexpectedly but it happened anyway, Tony pushed himself off the counter and huffed an amused but fond laugh at the dog. 

"Walking Jack must be a good thing for you, Tony." Bruce's soft voice was behind him as the shorter man latched the metal clasp on Jack's collar. He turned his head to spot the weary man remaining at the table. 

Tony patted the dog's head, the soft fur felt good against his rough hand. 

"Yeah, I guess we did need a pet." He answered truthfully and didn't even wince internally. Bruce's smile was wide and real just as Tony's answering grin. Tony slipped on his shoes before heading towards the elevator with the dog walking eagerly by his side.

Tony didn't go to Starbucks today, instead going straight for the park and letting Jack chase after squirrels and fetch the stick he had snapped off a low hanging tree. The man sat on a bench, taking in the people and other pets that ran around. He kept a very close eye on Jack as he barked, hopping excitedly when another dog wandered by. 

Weirdly enough, no one got too close to the huge black dog. It was as if a ward was placed around him, sure they glanced but never really approached him. 

Tony watched it happen at least 6 times before he whistled and gave a confused glance towards a couple who literally cringed away from Jack even though he wasn't in touching distance at all. What the hell was going on? When Jack stopped before Tony and allowed him to attach the leash back on, pointedly not touch the runes on the collar, did he notice another equation in this weird situation. New York was a very busy place, even the park was packed but it seemed Tony and Jack had their own space. No one had walked by Tony at all since he sat down and Jack didn't wander too far. It seemed the invisible ward extended like a fence around the dog and Tony. 

"Time to talk to Loki.." Tony muttered, walking away from the park and towards home. Questions ran through his head as he entered the top floor and made sure Jack had water and food before absently going into his lab. Was this a new bond addition? Why hadn't Tony noticed before? 

Luckily, even though he had just woken up from a full night's rest only two hours ago, he could simply trigger the 'dream realm' by staying relaxed and edging towards sleep. He guessed Bruce's meditation dates were actually coming in handing. 

Just as he lowered his head onto his arms when he sat at his worktable, Bruce cleared his throat. 

"Oh, shit, I didn't know you were here." Tony lifted his head back up, catching the other man's eyes. 

"Are you okay?"

Tony wanted to laugh bitterly but instead rubbed a hand over his eyes and leaned his cheek on the palm of his hand. 

"I'm peachy, Brucie. Whatcha working on?" Honestly he didn't want to get up and pester his science bro. 

Bruce didn't look very convinced but lowered his worried gaze to his laptop and stared rather hard at the screen. 

"I was checking out the Myths on Fenrir and Loki."

Something inside Tony's stomach twisted painfully but he swallowed down the uncomfortable feeling for now. 

"Still?" He joked lightly, "Didn't think we were still doing this."

"Thor was explaining Loki's magic the other night and the collar is really bothering me." Bruce began tapping on the keyboard and Tony groaned softly, forehead smacking into the table. "Aren't you a bit worried, Tony?"

"Jack hasn't exactly shown any qualities of an evil killing wolf." Tony explained, "The collar might just be another ploy to get us to waste our time." He paused, feeling Bruce's stare, "Besides, Thor said Loki was unable to harm us from his little cell."

"True." Was the very soft voice from across the room. He heard the click of the laptop closing and tried not to feel too relieved. "Maybe you could help me examine the collar, we should take it off and stick it under your magical scanner." Somehow Bruce's voice took on an amused hint and Tony raised his head long enough to shoot his friend a smile before nodding slightly. Bruce took that as a good sign and muttered something about going out for lunch before he exited the lab. 

Tony plopped his head back down and sighed through his nose. 

"Jarvis, shut everything down. No access unless the Avengers need to assemble, understand?"

"Yes, sir." 

The sudden stillness around him was enough for him to focus on his breathing and within moments, he was relaxed and drifting off, mentally calling for Loki. 

_  
Tony wasn't even aware of where they had ended up but he could feel Loki standing across from him._

_"Boy do I have a lot of questions for you." Tony opened his eyes because for some reason whether the collar brought him or he went to sleep, the magic that encased him made him dizzy. Before him was a vast never ending ocean and beach. The sand underneath his bare feet was unnaturally white and smooth, the ocean was blue and he could see the bottom where colorful fish swam by. It reminded him briefly of his business trip to Bora Bora with their beautiful oceans. Except it looked empty but at least he could feel the warm breeze this time. He turned in a slow circle to see it was never ending like the snowy winter land they ended up in nearly two weeks ago. Tony turned to face where Loki was and--_

_Loki was hunched over, hand braced on a boulder that was somehow on the beach but Tony wasn't bothering with wondering why rocks were magically on the perfect beach._

_The God was bloody._

_Sure, many times when Loki called upon Tony or he went willingly after touching the collar he arrived just after Loki had his daily visitors but this, this was something much worse._

_It looked like they had dunked Loki in a tub full of blood and then let him bake in the sun like it was Arts and Crafts._

_"Jesus Chr-" Tony lunged forward and barely managed to catch Loki with his hands before the God was buried underneath the too silky sand. He adjusted himself so his hands were underneath Loki's arms and Loki's face was buried in the crook of his neck. "Fuck, Loki." He sighed, both from seeing him so messed up and how heavy he was. His brown eyes scanned the sand and he spotted a hut a few yards away on the edge of the clear ocean. Tony felt a bit bad since he was practically dragging Loki down the beach but at least he was supporting the upper half of him. A couple times he had to pause and wince at the strain on his back but he was too damn determined to get Loki checked out that he gritted his teeth through the pain and kept going, staring blankly at the trail of blood they left in the sand._

_Getting the both of them up the stairs and into the living room/bedroom was a total bitch and he let out way too many loud curses but luckily Loki was passed out and never complained. Tony shouldn't be upset that he can't hear Loki moan about mistreating a prince or some shit like that. Instead he busied himself with shoving Loki on the massive bed and glancing around the spacious hut for supplies or something. Honestly he didn't expect to have Loki bloody in his dream so you can't really blame him for the lack of a First Aid kit. He turned his attention back on Loki when he couldn't find anything else and he was too stressed out to even bother conjuring something up._

_"Okay, clothes off." Tony muttered out loud and noticed Loki was in his cell clothes. Easy enough. The blood made it challenging and when Tony felt like he might accidently snag on a gash underneath, he gripped the thin fabric and decidedly ripped it, listening to the tearing over the ocean waves crashing under their hut. He tossed the ripped cloth away and stared down at the pants with raised eyebrows. He snuck a peek at Loki who still wasn't aware so Tony smirked and made quick do of the leather binds and tugged on the tight pants inch by inch until finally they were free from the still body and then Loki was naked. The blood was like a second skin and he sighed, spotting a bucket in the living room that either held flowers or fruit. Tony snatched off the cloth that hung on the beams and leaned out the front door to gather the ocean water before going back to Loki's side and wiping away the blood. Either the ocean water was fresh or Loki didn't feel much pain because Tony knew most of the water soaked into the gashes. Thankfully the God didn't wake up screaming bloody murder so Tony counted that as a win and kept up his nursing duties._

_It felt like hours but Tony knew by now he'd be awake so he figured it was only minutes before he finished cleaning up Loki. His pale skin was tinted pink but he figured when Loki was up and about he could wash up in the shower. Tony sat on the chair he pulled from the corner of the room and watched as the gashes closed until they were scratches or scars. At least he was nice enough to put a sheet over Loki's lower half before he turned his attention to the beach._

_"I cannot believe you carried me here." Loki's voice was rough and Tony figured it would be when he spotted the hand print bruises wrapped around his neck._

_"I drug you, but same difference." Tony shrugged but couldn't deny he was glad to see Loki awake. "Why didn't you-" He cut himself off, knowing there was no need to say anything._

_Loki seemed to take pity and smiled sadly, "I will not allow you to be brought into the middle of my mistakes, Stark."_

_"What can I stupid mortal do, right?" Tony laughed but it was bitter and his heart clenched unpleasantly when Loki frowned and closed his eyes before looking away. "I didn't expect to see you this way."_

_A rueful expression passed over Loki's face and Tony twisted his hands which rested on his lap._

_"I did not expect to have you call upon me so soon."_

_Tony chuckled, "Yeah, well. I had questions..." He paused when he saw Loki staring at him again, green eyes dull but curious. "But...whatever, it can wait." He finished lamely._

_They fell silent but it wasn't awkward, just peaceful and Tony listened to Loki breathe in and out evenly. He had no idea how just hearing the other man's breathing patterns was a calming effect on him._

_Okay, Tony knew exactly why but he just didn't want to dwell on those facts right now._

_"You were quite happy this morning. The feeling was something I have never...experienced so much in all of my lives."_

_"You felt that?" Tony blanched. Loki smiled, soft and sweet and it made Tony's hands sweat and heart skip._

_"Our bond is strengthening." Loki explained, voice taking on a more stronger tone. Tony nodded dumbly because that sounded like a normal thing to do right now. "I suppose that can be a reason why I am in this state."_

_"What the hell does that mean?"_

_"I laughed." Loki smirked, green eyes taking on more life and Tony blinked before snorting a laugh and rolled his eyes, "I did not think much of it as I sat there but apparently your emotions were so clear that I became highly aware of them and just laughed as they took turns."_

_Tony winced, frown deepening but Loki didn't want that happening._

_"Oh, Stark. Please don't look so upset." Tony watched Loki wave at him and he laughed again but somehow it sounded relieved and maybe a bit hysterical. "I do appreciate you cleaning up the mess."_

_Tony smiled, "Yeah, you were bleeding all over the sand. Can't have that in my dreams."_

_"I also cannot help but realize I am nude as a babe. Undressing me already, hm?"_

_"You wished." Tony bit out but it was more due to his terrible crush and embarrassment than actual anger. "I had to rip your- I had to do it because you were out cold."_

_Loki eased himself up slowly until he was leaning casually against the headboard, color appearing back into his cheeks and he smoothed a hand over the cloth hiding himself from Tony. The God was staring down at the fabric with a devilish smirk but he didn't speak, Tony wasn't sure why he even prayed Loki would. Especially since his own non-commitment flirty remarks were short and his heart was beating out a samba. This was a total outrage and Tony really didn't want to think about all of this useless new information and emotion._

_"You had questions." Loki was looking over at him now, face blanked off and so reserved that Tony felt like they were back to square one. "It is only fair I answer."_

_Tony scowled but sat back in his chair with careless intentions and thought 'Two can play at this game' and let his own facial expression shudder to his professional mask._

_"I couldn't help but realize there's some sort of ward surrounding Jack and me when we're in public."_

_Loki's eyes flashed dangerous but not out of anger, "That's hardly a question."_

_Tony sniffed, crossing his arms. "Why?"_

_"Fenrir cannot be trusted." Loki answered without blinking and that shocked Tony. "I also cannot trust the mortals and their beasts not to disrupt his behavior."_

_"He's a pretty chill dog."_

_"How much have you read on Myth?"_

_"Enough." Tony shrugged._

_"Then you realized, and I do feel like I am repeating myself, that Fenrir is wanted among Asgard for his unmistakable destined path to destroy the All-Father."_

_"Right." Tony breathed, "Maybe I forgot that..."_

_Loki looked sad, "Mmm. Fenrir is a dangerous monster, Tony Stark." He purred, "Just like his father."_

_"Is that supposed to put me off?" The genius laughed lightly, because honestly it was doing the exact opposite of wanting him to run for the hills. Oh hell, he was so messed up when it came to Loki. There, he admitted it. Now if only... "It makes me want to rip that see through cloth and pin you to the mattress."_

_Word vomit, nice. That really could've gone better._

_Instead of spitting fire or whatever, Loki merely tilted his head innocently and quirked one perfect arched eyebrow at Tony. His lips drew back in a sinful smile and yeah, if that wasn't a clear 'Come get me' sign then Tony's been wasting his life with one night stands all wrong. Tony had control though and right now he needed questions answered more because time was running very short. His fingers gripped the arms of the chair so hard he could hear it creak._

_"As much as I want to..." Tony gulped, shoving the lust down. "I need more answers."_

_Loki and his control were about 10 times better than Tony's as he breathed out slowly and just like that he was normal and acting like he didn't just want to ravish Tony. Lucky bastard._

_"Go on." Loki gestured impatiently._

_"Why's the ward around me?"_

_"Oh, Tony." Yeah, that didn't help shove back his emotions whatsoever. "You already know that answer."_

_Tony narrowed his eyes over at the smug looking God._

_"Fine."_

_Outside the sky darkened and the breeze died suddenly. Loki gripped the cloth as he swung his legs over the edge of his bed. Tony was too busy glaring out at the dark sky, knowing he was about to wake up when he saw motion in the corner of his eyes and saw Loki standing dressed in his cell clothes. They were fixed and Tony wondered how that happened because he thought Loki didn't have magic. He heard thunder rumbling somewhere and sighed, standing as well._

_"Do try to work out your foolish musings before consoling me."_

_Somehow Loki was standing in his personal bubble and Tony found himself reaching out to rest his palm on Loki's hip._

_"Try not to laugh and get yourself in more trouble." Came the retort._

_Loki grinned brightly and leaned forward to press his warm lips to Tony's in a barely there peck before the beach and warmth of their own bodies swirled away._

Tony jolted awake with curses flowing out of his lips and his jeans feeling uncomfortably tight. 

In another realm, Loki sat against the glass wall with a twisted smile and a trembling hand dispelling a wisp of green magic from his palm.


End file.
